Aussie couple's desperate attempt to get baby from Ukraine: 'Just get me there'
When Jessica van Nooten got the call on Tuesday to tell her her daughter was born, she and her husband Kevin got the first flight out of Australia headed towards Ukraine.
The Melbourne couple's baby girl Alba was born via local surrogate 10 weeks early in the port city of Odesa, in southern Ukraine.
But after the country was plunged into war at the hand of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, they are now unable to bring their newborn baby home.
Ukraine is the second most popular country for couples wanting a baby through surrogacy after the United States, according to the ABC.
Desperate to reach their daughter before things deteriorated further in Ukraine, the pair jumped on a plane on Wednesday night.
But soon after arriving in Dubai for a stopover, they learned their flights had diverted to Warsaw, Poland when the Russian forces entered the country on Thursday, grounding all flights into the country.
Scott Morrison lashes out at China's act after Russian invasion
Ominous road markings appear in Ukraine as Russian troops advance
They reportedly received a call from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) warning them there was no way into Ukraine and that Australians were being ordered to leave.
Now in Moldova, Poland, they’re desperately trying to cross the border in an attempt to meet their daughter, but Ms Van Nooten said they have "limited options".
"There's talk if we can get ourselves to the border we can get a driver to take us, but then someone else said the borders are closed," she told the ABC.
"We just want to get there."
Leaving their daughter is 'not an option'
Alba’s arrival comes after a seven-year fertility battle and 15 failed rounds of IVF.
The couple also suffered a miscarriage before the pandemic stalled their surrogacy journey.
Desperate for a baby, the couple married in order to qualify for surrogacy in Ukraine, which is allowed for Victorian couples but illegal in NSW, Queensland and the ACT.
Baby Alba is currently in neonatal care at the hospital she was born in.
The new mum was told her "lungs aren’t developed" and there was "a bit of a bleed on her brain" but was assured she’s getting the best possible care.
Ms Van Nooten said leaving her daughter in Ukraine is "not an option", despite warnings from the Australian government.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
