wait--Indiana puts 6 year olds in the state hospital? They don't have a ped psych unit in their fancy town?

On my second episode.

I don't think I can stomach Michael much longer. Just saw the electric fence part. Also saw in A Good American Family where the fence has a sign saying danger high voltage and Kristine gets a serious burn. JFC. My family farmed. We had electric fences for cattle. You do not have "high voltage" fences that would harm animals. Anyway, as my dad always said it's not the volts, it's the amps. Touching one is not pleasant at all, but it is not dangerous either.

I think I know where Jake's ASD is from his dad's side.

Also, with this supposed sociopathy: they had dealt with Jake and other kids with disabilities. Surely they learned some things about mental disorders and psychiatric diagnoses. If I had some therapist tell me my kid was a sociopath I'd be heading to a developmental psychologist for better insight. If I saw pubic hair on my 6 yo adopted daughter my first thought would not be "who IS she???," it would be to track down a pediatric endocrinologist (they had the money according to Michael) to see what the medical options were.

And I'm just someone who grew up on a farm and raised one kid (who had psychiatric problems) and never earned more than $45k in my life.

https://people.com/inside-natalia-grace-s-new-life-with-family-of-little-people-in-new-york-it-is-definitely-a-blessing-to-be-alive-exclusive-8767697


Update from Natalia herself in January.

She makes a lot of sense here. Very sad and bizarre story but it does sound like she is in recovery mode now.

Much of her current behaviour and issues are likely the result of how she was treated. She was a child when they adopted her. There are pictures of her pregnant mother and records of her birth and her pictures of when she was adopted show a child who is losing her front baby teeth. The trauma abuse and abandonment she experienced over the course of her life was going to mess her up as an adult. Hopefully she eventually stabilized

Is anybody watching the new season? This story is INSANE. Her adoptive parents are being presented as religious grifters who manipulated Natalia and spend all of her SSI benefit money, won't let her get an ID or bank account, and physically abused their children. The original couple who tried to adopt her--the little people--staged a rescue from the adoptive parents and there's also a whole thing with an online boyfriend from the UK?!?

You adopt her then. She’s awful

I am shocked by so many of the responses here…
“She’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing”, “She's crazy”, “She’s not a victim”

Seriously? Wow, she was clearly a victim many times over by being institutionalized in an orphanage, passed around from home to home being re-homed like a pet, abused by the Barretts and left alone to care for herself at an ridiculously young age with severe disabilities.

So, of course she has mental health issues from all of that trauma. How could she not? To expect that she would have healthy relational or coping skills is absurd. I’m sure that she acted out in many unhealthy ways over the years & that should be expected.

Talk about victim blaming & lack of empathy for all she has been through! It is a miracle that she is functional at all. She will likely struggle the rest of her life to have long-term meaningful relationships or stability. She was failed by the adults in her life at every turn. It is all very sad.

She should be in therapy in a medical facility. Something is very wrong with her. I do think she is very manipulative, not very trustworthy and dangerous to others. She didn’t deserve being abused by Christine, that’s another sycophant. Everyone is making money of this. Feel bad for the 3 boys, these are victims as well.

Why isn't there much chatter about her entire adoption history and how she actually landed with Michael? There was the family that did the original adoption and brought her home from Ukraine. Something went really wrong and they disrupted, moving her on to a second home. Then that disrupted and Michael's family became the third family. When that disrupted the Bishop family took her in as the fourth family. And again, that also disrupted. Common denominator is Natalia. Not an uncommon scenario with a deeply damaged or mentally ill child from her background.

Both can be true. She has severe mental health issues
AND was treated poorly.

Anonymous wrote:Natalia is not a victim, she has severe mental health issues. She is A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Exactly, she needs to live under a very close watch and I would caution anyone to not get close to her

I just finished this. She clearly looks like an adult now vs the photos/videos from when she lived with the Barnetts. Clearly.

Wasn’t she with the pastor and his wife for years before they adopted her? They didn’t seem concerned about her at all and then 6 mos after the adoption they’re “done with her”??

Somebody please explain. This is crazy. Also, I never want to see/hear Michael again. He is so annoying.

Why can't Michael see his other two sons? Why hasn't he sued her for taking the children out of state without permission of the courts? Why hasn't he tried to get shared custody or are the kids over 18?

Anonymous wrote:Natalia is not a victim, she has severe mental health issues. She is A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

I like how they breezed over her biting her new families children and the hospital visit from it.

Anonymous wrote:Natalia is not a victim, she has severe mental health issues. She is A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

+100
Also the family that took her in was spending her disability payments. Everyone is getting something from this.

$$$$$$$