Natalia Grace is an American woman with dwarfism who was born in Ukraine. She was adopted by an American family in 2010, but was allegedly abandoned three years later, when she was about ten years old according to her later estimated age. Her case has drawn wide public attention, involving legal disputes over her birth date, a neglect prosecution of her adoptive parents, and multiple subsequent placements. As of 2025, she lives with a couple who also have dwarfism.
Early life and adoption
Natalia was born in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, in 2003 and was diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism. Her birth mother placed her in an orphanage, citing the child's congenital defects and limited money. She was adopted in 2008 by a family in New Hampshire, who placed her for adoption again in 2010. She was then adopted by Kristine and Michael Barnett, who gave her the name Natalia Grace Barnett.
Alleged abandonment and legal disputes
In 2012 the Barnetts obtained a court order changing Natalia's birth year to 1989, making her an adult on paper. In 2013 they left her alone in an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, before moving to Canada. Her birth date was later restored to 2003, and the neglect charges against the parents ended with an acquittal for Michael in 2022 and dismissed charges against Kristine in 2023. Natalia was then cared for by another family, who later became her legal guardians and adoptive parents.
Media coverage
Natalia's story has been the subject of a 2023 docuseries, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, and a later season aired in 2025. The Hulu series Good American Family also dramatizes her life, with an actress playing her role. She has also appeared on a television talk show in 2019.