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Ukrainian 'Child' Reportedly With New Family After Adoptive Mother Claimed She Was An Adult

Ukrainian 'Child' Reportedly With New Family After Adoptive Mother Claimed She Was An Adult

Ukrainian-born Natalia is three foot tall, and has from a rare form of dwarfism

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

Natalia Barnett has been the subject of A LOT of confusion recently, having hit headlines earlier this week after her adopted mum claimed the nine-year-old she took in was actually a 22-year-old sociopath who had made several attempts to kill her.

Ukrainian-born Natalia is three foot tall, and has from a rare form of dwarfism.

But it's her age that's been difficult to pin down, as some people - herself included - are claiming she's a youngster, while others say she's a fully-grown adult now in her 30s.

Kristine Barnett and her then-husband Michael adopted Natalia in May 2010, but have been accused of felony neglect after abandoning her in a flat in Lafayette, Indiana, in 2013 before fleeing to Canada around a week later - even though they say she's not the child she claims to be.

Natalia with Kristine and Michael Barnett.
Kristine Barnett

After their doctor performed bone density tests, it became obvious Natalia was at least 14, and a judge eventually corrected her birth year to 1989 so that she could get adult care - which was when the Barnetts supposedly put her up in a flat, helped her get ID, benefits and even offered to send her to college.

As the case due to go to court, the Daily Mail - who originally spoke to Kristine - now reports that Natalia has found a new home with a Christian couple from Indiana and their five kids.

The people thought to be her new parental figures are Antwon and Cynthia Mans, a recently-ordained pastor and a manager at McDonald's.

According to the Daily Mail, the Mans tried to become Natalia's legal guardians in 2016 but court records show they later withdrew their petition after the court upheld an earlier ruling that she was born in 1989 and not 2003.

The couple declined to comment when approached, but several photos on social media imply that she has been embraced into the family.

Cynthia Mans/Facebook
Cynthia Mans/Facebook

One photo on Cynthia's Facebook page has a caption that said: "Adoption is love."

In another, she joked: "My Daughter. The sweetest. Most beautiful. Loving, Amazing. Evil, psychotic creature you'll ever meet."

Cynthia Mans/Facebook

A Snapchat photo of Natalia and Antwon is also captioned: "I love u daddy so much."

Snapchat

A family friend told the newspaper that she considered the Mans to be 'Good Samaritans', who had simply come across an abandoned child in need of helped and decided to welcome her into their hearts.

The anonymous friend said: "The Mans care for Natalia and she likes being there.

"There's nothing crazy going on or anything. These are good people.

"They just so happened to come across this person that was not being treated right and cared enough to put in the effort to make sure something was done about it. If it's true that her parents had abandoned her, it's horrible.

"I'm not a doctor or a psychiatrist but I've spoken with Natalia and I believe her. If you're asking me if I think she is 30, that's ridiculous."

Well, now this is all even more baffling than it was before.

Featured Image Credit: Kristine Barnett

Topics: World News, News