Natalia Grace: The Age Dispute, the Court Outcomes and Her Life Today

Natalia Grace is an American woman born in Ukraine with a rare form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita. Her story became widely known through television and streaming series, and it raises hard questions about adoption, age and responsibility.

Who she is

She was born Natalia Vadymivna Gava on 4 September 2003 and stands about 3 feet 7 inches. She was adopted from Ukraine by Michael and Kristine Barnett of Indiana.

The age dispute

In 2012 a Marion County court, on the Barnetts’ petition, changed her legal birth year from 2003 to 1989, which made her appear to be an adult. Her adoptive parents said they believed she was a much older woman posing as a child. A DNA test in 2023 supported the earlier birth year, and her recorded birth date was restored to 2003.

The apartment in Lafayette

In 2013 the Barnetts moved her into an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, while they relocated to Canada. She was later found there and became the ward of Antwon and Cynthia Mans, who were granted guardianship in 2016.

Legal outcomes

The Barnetts have maintained their account of events, and reporting should distinguish allegations from the court results above.

Where she is now

Natalia left the Mans household in December 2023 and lives in New York with Vincent and Nicole DePaul, a couple with dwarfism who support her.

In the media

Her story is covered in the Investigation Discovery series The Curious Case of Natalia Grace and in the dramatisation Good American Family on Hulu. Dramatisations take liberties, so check facts against court records.

Another story involving courts and long-delayed justice: Kemba Smith Pradia.

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