American couple whose baby was born to a Ukrainian surrogate two days before Russia invaded celebrate Easter at home after fleeing across the Polish border on foot
- Jessie and Jacob Boeckmann’s daughter was born to a surrogate in Kyiv
- Two days later, Russia invaded and the couple fled for the Polish border
- Became a 27-hour journey that involved walking for hours in freezing weather
- The couple are now safe at home in California with their eldest daughter
An American couple who flew to Kyiv to collect their daughter born to a Ukrainian surrogate days before war broke out have shared a touching family photograph after returning home.
Doctors Jessie and Jacob Boeckmann, from Orange County, California, flew to the Ukrainian capital ahead of their daughter Vivi’s birth on February 22.
When Russia invaded two days later, the couple defied the advice of medical staff and immediately began the journey to the temporary US Embassy in the western city of Lviv, only to discover it had closed.
Their six-hour car ride turned into a 27-hour trip that involved walking for eight hours to the Polish border, with Jessie carrying her newborn daughter in her arms and Jacob pulling their luggage.
‘I was so worried the baby would freeze or starve,’ the mother-of-two shared in an Instagram post. ‘She was only four days old’.
The couple are now safely back in California where they were reunited with their eldest daughter, Mary, who was also born through surrogacy.
Jessie and Jacob Boeckmann, from Orange County, California, flew to the Ukrainian capital ahead of their daughter Vivi’s birth on February 22. They are now safe at home in California with daughter Mary (right) after making the arduous journey across the Polish border
Jessie, a cataract surgeon from Orange County, California, told how she walked eight miles to the Polish border with her four-day-old daughter strapped to her chest after she and her husband flew out to Ukraine to collect her days before war broke out
Jessie shared a photo of the family together on Easter, with Vivi in Jacob’s arms.
Ukraine is an international surrogacy hub. Growing Families, a charity working with parents seeking surrogacy, estimates there are 800 Ukraine surrogates pregnant with children to foreigners, with an estimated 40 carrying babies for British parents.
Its popularity is down to a number of reasons including the availability of surrogates, the high standard of medical care and the cost.
The entire process costs the equivalent of £42,000, roughly a third of what it costs parents pursuing surrogacy in the US.
The legal situation is also different to Britain, where the surrogate mother is automatically given legal rights. In Ukraine the ‘intended parents’ are the only ones with any legal rights.
Growing Families has been contacted by more than 100 couples from 12 countries seeking assistance.
Baby Vivi, carried by a surrogate, was born in Kyiv on February 22, two days before Russia invaded Ukraine. When war broke out, they made the long journey to the Polish border, by car (pictured) and on foot
In the early hours of February 24, Jacob and Jessie woke to the sounds of explosions. Still in hospital with their baby, they made the brave decision to start making their way to Lviv
Harrowing photos show volunteer nurses caring for babies born to surrogates whose parents have been unable to fly in and collect them.
The Boeckmann family’s ordeal started when they arrived in Ukraine amid the rumbles of a possible Russian invasion.
‘Jacob and I had been in Kyiv a few days because of the uncertain geopolitical situation,’ Jessie wrote in an Instagram post.
‘Prior to her birth, the airport in Kyiv had closed. We knew getting out of the country would be challenging, but I had no idea what was in store.’
In the early hours of February 24, Jacob and Jessie woke to the sounds of explosions. Still in hospital with their baby, they made the brave decision to start making their way to Lviv.
With the airport closed, they had no choice but to book a private hire car to the city, which has become an international hub for aid agencies and refugees fleeing the war. Eventually they became stuck in deadlock traffic and had to reach the Polish border on foot, pictured
The couple thanked the ‘angels’ who helped them on their fraught journey to the Polish border, including their driver who took them out of Kyiv and strangers they met in line
Jessie and Jacob became separated while trying to cross the border into Poland. Jessie shared a video of the chaos (pictured) and revealed she was pushed through with her baby
With the airport closed, they had no choice but to book a private hire car to the city, which has become an international hub for aid agencies and refugees fleeing the war.
Jessie continued: ‘What started off as a six hour car ride turned into a 27 hour trip. It took us four hours alone to get out of Kyiv because of the massive exodus of people.
‘A few hours into our trip, we found out that the temporary US embassy had closed and that we would have to make the trip to Poland.
Low costs, willing women and favourable laws: Why Ukraine has become a global surrogacy hotspot for foreign parents
Commercial surrogacy has been legal for married heterosexual couples in Ukraine since 2000. It is now the second most popular destination behind the US.
Mr Everingham said that a shortage of surrogates in the UK drives couples to look oversees. While the US is popular, the relatively high costs exclude some parents.
In Ukraine, the process costs around $55,000. Costs rise to around $60,000 if the couple is using a donor egg or sperm. In contrast the US surrogacy services can range from around $100,000 to $200,000.
Surrogates in the UK cannot be paid. Intended parents can only pay for expenses the surrogate incurs.
Ukraine’s laws are another factor. The Family code of Ukraine law states that where embryos created by IVF by the intended parents are returned to the womb of another woman, the intended parents are the legal parents.
The law in Ukraine specifically states that the baby belongs to the intended parents and the surrogate mother has no prenatal rights. Both intended parents names appear on the Ukrainian birth certificate.
This might appeal to British couples concerned over the UK laws that automatically grant rights to a surrogate. Laws in the US vary state to state.
Countries including Thailand, India and Nepal, which used to allow compensated surrogacy for foreigners, have banned the practice out of fear it led to the exploitation of women.
However there are restrictions on how Ukraine surrogacies can operate. Unlike in the UK, surrogacies in Ukraine can only be ‘gestational’, meaning the woman cannot be biologically linked to the baby. Meanwhile at least one of the intended parents must be biological.
‘Our driver, Val, who only spoke Russian, agreed to take us. We had many angels who helped us during our journey, and our driver was our first one. He could have dropped us off on the side of the road, but he stuck with us despite the angry calls from his family and his uncertain return home.
‘Once we approached the border, traffic came to a stand still. At this point it was 2am. We all slept in the car overnight for a few hours. The next morning, traffic started moving again, but at nine 9am it completely stopped again.’
Jessie and Jacob decided to brave the freezing temperatures and walk the remaining eight hours to the Polish border.
‘I had to pray that this would be the best decision, but ultimately, we had to get to the border,’ Jessie continued. ‘Jacob pulled the bags, and I wore the baby.
‘The walk was like walking through a parking lot, or the worst travel jam, seven-and-a-half miles long. No cars were moving for the entire three hours journey. We constantly stopped to make sure the baby was breathing and was warm.
‘The smell of car exhaust was overwhelming. No cars moved the entire trip. We realized when we reached the end of the walk that the border had stopped letting cars pass, if we had stayed in the car, I think it would have taken us days or weeks to get across.’
Strangers stopped to help the couple by carrying their luggage, offering support, and helping to make bottles for their baby.
The whole time, Jessie was worried her baby would ‘freeze or starve’.
The mother continued: ‘She was only four days old. If we had to stay outside the gate overnight, I am not sure what would have happened.’
Jessie and Jacob became separated while trying to cross the border into Poland.
‘It was complete chaos. We somehow made it into the front area of the “line” which I will refer to as the death pit,’ she wrote.
‘People were desperate to cross the border. Children were crying, women were screaming. There was no order or crowd control.
‘After waiting for about two and a half hours, the crowd pushed me and the baby through, but the border control was preventing males from passing.
‘Jacob was unable to pass through the gates with me. As the crowd was pushing me through, I had to keep my arms out and push people to prevent the baby from being crushed.
‘I made it through the gates only to find another line waiting. I got in line because I did not know what else to do, but Jacob was carrying the baby’s food and my passport.
‘I waited for about 30 minutes when I realized that he was not going to get through the gates. I asked the people behind me if they spoke English, and I met my second set of angels. They agreed to save my spot in line so I could go back to the gate.’
With the help of new friends, Jessie was able to get the crowd to pass her the baby’s food, suitcase and passport from Jacob, who was stuck further down the crowd and unable to pass.
Ukraine is an international surrogacy hub. Growing Families, a charity working with parents seeking surrogacy, estimates there are 800 Ukraine surrogates pregnant with children to foreigners, with an estimated 40 carrying babies for British parents. These 21 babies were carried by Ukrainian surrogate mothers for overseas couples and are waiting for their parents
‘Walking into Poland, was a complete opposite situation,’ Jessie continued. ‘The Polish government and Red Cross set-up food stations, currency exchanges, and transportation.’
However rules preventing men of fighting age from leaving Ukraine meant it was far difficult for Jacob to cross the border. He was physically assaulted and accused of having a fake American passport. Their luggage was lost at the border.
With the help of family, politicians and a travel agent at home in California, Jessie was able to book a hotel 90 minutes from the border. Jacob joined them in the early hours of the morning, by which point he hadn’t eaten for 36 hours.
The couple made it to Warsaw and home to California.
Posting from the US, Jessie added: ‘Since we have been home, our hearts are still heavy with the devastation taking place in Ukraine.
‘It’s hard to be completely happy as we see so many families torn apart by war and to see a country we have grown to love suffer such utter destruction.’
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