Hundreds of couples are waiting for their baby in the UK. Sam Everingham, owner of the Growing Families foundation, tries to evacuate the babies.
Difficult process
Everingham currently travels back and forth between the UK, Poland and Georgia. In recent weeks, he has been able to get a number of newborn children out of Ukraine, but it is an incredibly difficult process, he says.
“We are trying to get the babies from shelters and hospitals to border areas so their new parents can pick them up, but birth certificates and travel documents are needed. The certificate office is closed.”
The surrogate mothers often do not want or cannot travel themselves, he says. “They want to stay with their own families or are physically unable to make a long journey. That’s why we try to find nurses who can take the newborn babies to the border. We try to arrange ambulances, but that too is very difficult in the chaos.”
Diapers and baby food are running out
Everingham’s organization helps expectant parents around the world who are trying to contact the surrogate mothers in Ukrainian shelters. He helps parents from European countries, but also from Canada and Australia, for example.
His main concern is that the bombings are increasing, making the now safe places scarce. In addition, he is very concerned about the babies who are not picked up because their parents-to-be decide to forgo it.
In the meantime, the diapers are running out in the air-raid shelters. There is a shortage of baby food, says Everingham. Their carers are also overtired, the children need attention day and night. “Critical resources are scarce. We are trying to work with governments and other NGOs to get the newborns to safety as quickly as possible.”
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