SoCal pediatrician joins volunteer team to help rescue orphaned children in Ukraine

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- John Rodarte is one of the volunteers working to rescue 19 disabled orphans in Ukraine amid continuous bombardments of civilian targets by the Russians.

Rodarte, a pediatrician with Huntington Health Physicians in Pasadena, has been putting his life on the line to save the vulnerable children who have adoptive families anxiously waiting to meet them back in the U.S.

"There's so much that is wrong with the world. And the last few years, it was such a difficult time for everybody," Rodarte said. "When you find a situation, or you get asked to help and utilize your skills, to me, it was kind of a no-brainer to do that."

Many of the special needs children are malnourished and have been in dire need of medicine since the war began.

Rodarte says the volunteer team will provide expert care to the children throughout their extradition from Ukraine and back to their families in the U.S.

SEE ALSO | SoCal man joins mission to help rescue orphans trapped in Ukraine


For other ways to help Ukrainian refugees and the relief effort, click here.