Good news has been hard to come by in Ukraine the past two weeks, with Russian forces increasing the intensity of their attacks in this war-torn country. Michael and Ami Kowalski delivered some, though, when they visited the American morning show TODAY, as they shared the miraculous story of baby Charlotte Marina, who was delivered by a surrogate during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Kowalskis arrived in Ukraine last month to witness the birth of their baby girl. Russia at that time was still adamant that it would not invade Ukraine, so the Florida-based couple did not hesitate in going to that country for this life-changing moment. According to Ami, nobody in Ukraine was really very concerned about a possible invasion by Russia.
That all changed on the morning of February 24 when Russia launched a large-scale military invasion of Ukraine. Raid sirens were heard around Ukraine to signal that the country was under attack from Russian troops. What was supposed to be a happy moment for the Kowalski couple suddenly turned into a horror show.
Surrogate goes to labor in bomb shelter
The Kowalskis found a taxi to be with their surrogate, but the journey was problematic, with the parents-to-be taking four hours to go just 18 miles. Ami said it took them that long to reach their destination as all the roads were blocked, and some of them had been damaged by the blasts.
Circumstances surrounding Charlotte Marina's arrival were challenging, with the surrogate mother going to labor in a Ukrainian bomb shelter. The surrogate mother soon delivered baby Charlotte at a hospital in Kyiv that was under fire from the Russian army.
After a long wait, the Kowalskis finally met their baby girl on February 26. According to Ami, they literally pretty much took baby Charlotte, who weighed seven pounds and two ounces, from the womb to war zones. Alongside their translator and another baby, whose American parents were not able to get to Ukraine in time, Ami and Michael were able to make it to the train station.
Kowalskis thankful to Ukrainians who helped their escape
Ami said that the thought of them not going home never crossed their minds, but the road back to the United States was challenging. They spent a couple of nights sleeping in train stations with two newborn babies and had to figure out plenty of detours because of the ongoing violence.
The trains they were riding had to be re-routed multiple times because of the fighting. Fortunately for Ami and Michael, they were guided safely to Slovakia by strangers they met in Ukraine.
Ami said that the community poured out at the train station, with people bringing formula, clothes, and blankets to help the babies in the middle of the night. She added that somebody put their safety and well-being at risk at every point in their journey to help them and their babies move safely and get out of Ukraine.
