Natalia Grace was adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett. However the Baretts moved to Canada leaving Natalia behind to take care of herself. Natalia took the Barnetts to court on charges of child abandonment. While the Barnetts claim that Natalia tried to kill them. As Natalia suffers from extreme dwarfism her real age is also hard to deduce.
The barnetts believed she was an adult as she was 24 years old and completely capable of taking care of herself. However, Natalia claimed she was 10 and hence investigators had to find her biological parents.
During the court trials, Natalia’s biological mother finally came forward. Her biological mother’s name is Anna Volodymyrivna Gava. The series ‘The Curious Case of Natalia Grace’ documents her story, the court cases and the truth about her biological mother, Anna Volodymyrivna Gava.
Who is Anna Volodymyrivna Gava?
In 2019, detectives travelled to Ukraine in search of Anna Volodymyrivna Gava, Natalia Grace’s biological mother. The documentary series disclosed that Anna and Natalia were a “99.999% match” based on a DNA test.
Anna Volodymyrivna Gava was born on 20th April, 1979 in Latvia.
Little is known about Anna’s private life prior to the birth of Natalia. Anna disclosed throughout the series that she was born on April 20, 1979. She was born in Latvia. She had a twin sister named Tatyana. Anna currently resides in Ukraine and is now a Ukrainian national. She is single as of now and has 5 children.
| Attributes | Details |
| Full Name | Anna Volodymyrivna Gava |
| Date of Birth | 20th of April, 1979 |
| Place of Birth | Latvia, country in Europe |
| Current Residence | Ukraine |
| Nationality | Ukrainian |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Twin Sister | Tatyana |
| Children | 5 |
| Known for | Natalia Grace’s biological mother |
Anna Volodymyrivna Gava Age and Appearance
Born on 20th of April, 1979, Anna Volodymyrivna Gava is 46 years of age as of 2025. Her zodiac sign is Taurus.Anna’s height and weight are not known. However, from her pictures we can understand that she is an East European woman with a wide, expressive face, a strong jawline and prominent cheekbones. Her hair is dark brown in colour and is usually short or medium length. Her eyes are black in colour.
| Appearance | Details |
| Age | 46 years old (as of 2025) |
| Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
| Height | Not Known |
| Weight | Not Known |
| Face Structure | Wide face with defined cheekbones |
| Hair colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair length | Short or medium length |
| Eye Colour | Black |
Anna Volodymyrivna Gava Marriage And Children
Anna Volodymyrivna Gava and her twin Tatyana were born in Latvia on April 20, 1979. Following that, she moved to Ukraine, where she wed Vadik and gave birth to Yulia and Natalia. After Natalia and Yulia, Anna also gave birth to 2 boys and a girl named Miroslav, Kira and Deniska. She is also a grandmother as Yulia gave birth to a child in 2020.
| Family Members | Name |
| Ex Husband | Vadik |
| Daughter | Natalia Grace |
| Daughter | Yulia |
| Son | Kira |
| Daughter | Deniska |
| Son | Miroslav |
Before Natalia was even born, Anna and Vadik had broken up. Natalia was born with several issues, but Yulia was a typical child. Anna said that at around 6:25 a.m. on September 4, 2003, she gave birth to her second child. Anna had already undergone an ultrasound, during which the physicians determined that there was no way to prevent the kid from being born handicapped. She was informed by the physicians after the delivery that the infant had “complex pathology.” She had a petite neck and short limbs and legs.
Anna Volodymyrivna Gava And Natalia Grace
When Natalia was going to be born, Anna was told by the doctors that Natalia will be born disabled. She was informed that the child’s illness would prevent her from leading a normal life and that she would either be bedridden or confined to a wheelchair.
The infant would require surgery to recover, the doctors said, and such procedures would cost around $100,000, which Anna and her family could not afford at the time. In light of the situation, the physicians recommended that she place the infant in an orphanage and allow it time to find a family that could properly care for her. Anna chose to comply with the request and donate the infant to the orphanage. She was later informed that the infant was named Natasha which later changed to Natalia and that she spent the following five years at the orphanage.
Anna was notified when an American family chose to adopt Natalia. She was reassured that the kid was moving to a better environment where she would be cared for. She was shown photos of both her daughter and her adoptive parents. Additionally, Anna was counselled to avoid contact with the adoptive parents and to avoid interfering in any way with the adoption procedure. She was assured that her daughter will have a brighter future and receive the necessary operations until an investigating team arrived at her door in 2019 to inform her of Natalia’s fate.
Anna Volodymyrivna Gava’s Wish Reconcile with Natalia Grace
In an October 2019 interview with the Daily Mail, Anna said she was horrified to learn of the violence her daughter had endured 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. Gava also acknowledged that she wanted to patch things up with Grace, saying, “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”
However, Natalia is not very keen on meeting her biological mother as she is heartbroken by her mother’s decision to give her up for adoption.
Where is Anna Volodymyrivna Gava Now?
Anna Gava had been a resident of Ukraine’s Mykolaiv. Before Natalia was born, she had divorced Vadik, but they later got back together. Regretfully, Vadik died sometime around 2013. Aside from gaining recognition during the Barnetts’ trial, Anna has largely had a quiet life. Her life’s tranquillity was probably impacted by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which escalated significantly in 2022 and damaged several large cities, including Mykolaiv. Since then, Anna and her family have not been heard from.
Conclusion
The life story of Anna Volodymyrivna Gava is entwined with intricate themes of identity, adoption and maternal sacrifice. Even though she has stated a strong wish to get back in touch with her daughter, the road to reconciliation is still unclear because of past choices and current circumstances.
FAQ
A1. Anna Volodymyrivna Gava is Natalia Grace’s biological mother.
A2. Anna Volodymyrivna Gava currently stays in Mykolaiv, Ukraine.
A3. Anna Volodymyrivna Gava was born on 20th April, 1979.
A4. Anna Volodymyrivna Gava’s twin sister’s name is Tatyana.
A5. Anna Volodymyrivna Gava gave Natalia for adoption as Natalia was born with certain abnormalities. Anna couldn’t afford for Natalia’s surgeries and hoped that her adoptive parents would.
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