Where is Anna Volodymyrivna Gava now? Natalia Grace's mom speaks out

In 2012, Natalia Grace's adoptive parents successfully changed her birth year from 2003 to 1989. Seven years later, her biological mom, Anna Volodymyrivna Gava, spoke publicly to put the topic regarding Natalia's age to rest, saying:

My daughter Natalia Grace was born on 4 September 2003. She is currently 16 years old.

Key takeaways

• Anna Volodymyrivna Gava was 24 when she gave birth to her second daughter, Natalia Grace (21).
• Doctors advised Gava to give up the child for adoption due to her physical disabilities.
• Grace's adoptive parents, Kristine and Michael Barnett, legally changed her birth year from 2003 to 1989.
• Natalia's life is the subject of Good American Family and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.

Anna Volodymyrivna Gava's profile summary

"Do not ruin your life; you will have other children"

Before Anna gave birth to Grace, an ultrasound revealed that the latter would be disabled. In a 2022 interview shown in The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, Gava revealed why she gave her daughter up for adoption, stating:

When the anaesthesia wore off, the doctors came in and told me, 'There is no need to take your baby home because she will never be able to walk. You are still young; more kids will come your way."

Anna added that surgery to help her daughter would have cost $100,000, which she could not afford.

Although I initially did not want to leave my child, I knew there was nothing I could do to help her. That was the last day I saw my daughter's little legs and arms.

After persuasion from the doctors and her mother, Volodymyrivna agreed to give Natalia up to an orphanage for adoption.

Natalia Grace's adoption by Michael and Kristine Barnett

The couple adopted Grace in 2010 after her former adoptive parents, Gary and Dyan Ciccone, placed her for adoption again.

However, the Barnetts allegedly discovered that although Natalia was short, she had several markers of an adult. In 2012, they legally re-aged her from 8 to 22. The following year, Kristine and Michael abandoned Grace in an apartment in Lafayette.

They relocated to Canada so their oldest son, Jacob Barnett, could enrol at the University of Waterloo. In October 2019, Michael told Good Morning America that doctors purportedly treating their adopted daughter told them:

This girl is a sociopath and a con artist. You are all in danger.

Kristine and Michael were charged with neglect of a dependent

When Bishop Antwon Corry Mans and his wife, Cynthia Mary Renee, noticed that Grace was struggling after being abandoned, they invited her to live with them.

In 2016, they filed to become Natalia's legal guardians. Michael was acquitted in 2022, and charges against Kristine were dismissed in 2023.

Anna Volodymyrivna Gava regrets giving her child up for adoption

While speaking to the Daily Mail in October 2019, Anna revealed that she was shocked to hear about the abuse her daughter had gone through at the hands of the Barnetts.

I thought everything was okay with Natalia's adoptive parents, only to learn that they ditched her. She was promised piles of gold, but it was the opposite.

She hopes to someday reconnect with her daughter

In her interview with the Daily Mail, Gava expressed her desire to mend the relationship with Grace, admitting:

My child, forgive me for what happened 16 years ago. Please visit me soon; we are all waiting for you. You have two brothers and two sisters.

During episode 2 of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks, which hit the screens on 2 January 2024, Gava still pleaded with her daughter to visit her, stating:

Being away from Natalia for 19 years is a long time. I would like her to be here with me. I think about it all the time.

However, Grace revealed she is reluctant to connect with her biological mother, considering they have spent so much time apart.

I understand you want to see me, but my family is here. Anna gave birth to me and gave me away the same day, but these people raised me. Her request makes me emotional because I have not been to Ukraine since I was 5.

FAQs

In 2019, Natalia appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil to share her life experiences. Below are some frequently asked questions about her:

Where is Natalia Grace's real mom?

Anna Volodymyrivna Gava's last known residence was in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. She largely stays away from the limelight.

How old was Natalia Grace when she was adopted?

Grace was five years old during her first adoption process in 2008. She was seven when seven years old when the Barnett family took her in.

Does Natalia Grace still live with the Mans?

Natalia currently lives with Nicole and Vince DePaul. There have been allegations that the Mans family extorted Grace for money.

Are Kristine and Michael Barnett still together?

The duo's divorce was finalised in 2022. He reportedly resides in Indiana while she moved to Florida.

Who is Michael and Kristine Barnett's son, Jake?

Jacob Barnett is a mathematician and theoretical physicist whose IQ is reportedly higher than Albert Einstein's.

Anna Volodymyrivna Gava made news in 2019 after being identified as Natalia Grace's biological mom. Nonetheless, the latter is hesitant about getting to know her better due to the trauma she went through as an adopted child.

READ ALSO: Who is Jacob Barnett? The story of the child prodigy with autism

Briefly.co.za published details about the autistic genius Jake. Aged 10, he enrolled at Indiana University after mastering high school math in two weeks.

Five years later, he became the youngest person admitted to the Premier Institute for Theoretical Physics. According to In Touch Weekly, Jake is a theoretical physicist at Perimeter Institute in Waterloo, Ontario.

Source: Briefly News