Plymouth family remembers Ukrainian special-needs adoption facilitator who helped them save six of their children

PLYMOUTH, Wis. (WBAY) - A Ukrainian-American man who helped facilitate the adoption of hundreds of special-needs children in the U.S. and other countries has been killed in Ukraine.

The news of Serge Zevlever’s death in Ukraine has rocked the lives of many around the globe who without his help, wouldn’t have the families they have today.

“He’s gonna be missed. And kids are gonna suffer because of the loss of him,” Laurie Harlin from Plymouth said.

Zevlever worked as the head adoption facilitator with Hand of Help Adoption in Ukraine to get special needs kids out of rough orphanages.

“If it wasn’t for him a lot, his kids wouldn’t be where they are,” Laurie said.

While he is a dual citizen and could have come to the U.S. when the war started, he chose to stay in Ukraine. He was shot and killed in Kyiv two days after Russia launched its attack.

“To see somebody who’s really out there to save thousands and make a difference...so early on in this whole thing, be killed by a sniper, it’s shocking,” Brian Harlin said.

Laurie and Brian Harlin from Plymouth are among those Zevlever helped. He brought them to Ukraine twice to adopt 6 of their 12 children, including their son Sergei for whom Zevlever had to fight for to get out of Russia.

“Russia doesn’t allow adoptions. So we had like a day or two to get him out, and ran into past court issues. And if it wasn’t for Serge, we wouldn’t be able to get him out of the country,” Brian said.

The Harlins said while Zevlever was a stern man, he had the biggest heart and even bigger willpower.

“He had once said, he’d never leave a man behind. He just, you know, you know, he was gonna get done what needed to be done and get you home safe,” Laurie said.

With Serge now gone, the Harlins fear for the lives of all the special needs kids in Ukraine.

They said he was one and a million.

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