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The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Road to Natalia Speaks will premiere on January 1, 2024. The episodes will air from 9 PM to 11 PM ET/PT across three consecutive nights on Investigation Discovery (ID). It is a spin-off of ID's 2023 true crime docuseries titled The Curious Case of Natalia Grace.
Natalia Grace is a young Ukranian woman who has received immense media coverage regarding her adoption story. Anna Gava, born on April 20, 1979, is reportedly the biological mother of Natalia.
As shown in the original docuseries, Natalia was diagnosed with a severe form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDc). Anna Gava chose to give up her child for adoption. This decision was reportedly based on the fact that she could not take proper care of Natalia's needs at the time.
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In the recent development, Anna has expressed an interest in reconnecting with Natalia after nearly two decades apart. The new documentary series delves deeper into the life of Natalia Grace Barnett. It features her story and the controversy surrounding her adoption by Amerian foster parents, Michael Barnett and Kristine Barnett.
Background of Anna Gava
In the original documentary The Curious Case of Natalia Grace which premiered on May 30, 2023, Anna Gava revealed that she was born in Latvia and then migrated to Ukraine, where she delivered Natalia. Anna Gava grew up with her twin sister, Tatyana. The course of Anna's life changed dramatically when she became pregnant with Natalia.
In the docuseries, Anna said that her delivery was complicated and "difficult." During an interview with DailyMailTV on October 8, 2019, Anna claimed that Natalia's date of birth was 4 September 2003. Natalia was placed in an orphanage shortly after. Anna said that she regretted her decision to give up Natalia.
She revealed that doctors had advised her to consider adoption because of the child's medical condition. Anna mentioned doctors telling her:
"Leave her, don’t ruin your life."
Adoption Controversy
BBC reported that Natalia was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett in 2010 under the belief that she was six years old. However, their experience with her quickly turned controversial as they began to suspect that she might be much older due to her physical appearance and behavior.
According to the same outlet, the Barnetts alleged that Natalia exhibited violent tendencies and claimed that she posed a threat to their family. In light of these concerns, they legally changed her birth year from 2003 to 1989, effectively aging her by 14 years. This new legal circumstance attracted much press attention and investigations into Barnett's conduct.
Neighbors complained that Natalia was being left alone in the apartment when Barnett's family departed. Thus, Barnetts were charged with neglect of a dependent. The case received further attention when it was discovered that Anna Gava in Ukraine was the real mother of Natalia.
As the 2023 docuseries revealed, investigators visited Ukraine to conduct DNA tests to determine Natalia's age and it was reportedly found that she and Anna were a match.
Current Development
In January 2024, the new episodes of The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: The Road to Natalia Speaks will be broadcast on Investigation Discovery (ID). It will provide further details into both Natalia's life and her relationship with Anna Gava. In the upcoming episodes, Natalia may express mixed emotions regarding reconnecting with Anna after nearly two decades of seeing each other.
Previously, during the Dr. Phil show released on November 7, 2019, Natalia said that she thought she had "found the right family after bouncing around a lot of families." She had built a life of her own in the United States. However, her foster parent Kristine had claimed that Natalia tried to harm her by poisoning her coffee. Natalia denied the claims.
In an interview with DailyMailTV on September 23, 2019, Anna Gava said that she always wanted to reconnect with her baby, stating:
"Daughter forgive me for what happened 16 years ago. Visit soon for me to see you. We are waiting for you. You have two sisters and two brothers."
Born in Latvia and later moving to Ukraine, Anna reportedly faced difficult choices regarding motherhood due to the challenges presented by Natalia's medical condition. The adoption saga raised numerous questions about age verification and parental responsibility while highlighting the emotional struggles faced by both mother and daughter.
As the case of Natalia Grace unfolds in the upcoming docuseries, it brings to light the complex dynamics of family relationships built on trauma and resilience.
