A couple is stuck 8,000 miles away from their baby who was born via surrogate during lockdown

• Argentinian couple José Perez and Flavia Lavorino were set to fly to Kiev to pick up their baby who would be born via surrogate in Ukraine. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit.
• Once Ukraine locked down its borders to travelers in March, the two and their newborn baby, Manu, became indefinitely separated by 8,000 miles.
• "Any parent who thinks about their child being far away knows the worry and the pain," Perez told Reuters."I'd say the words 'worry' and 'pain' don't even do justice describing the feelings we have."
• Perez and Lavorino are not alone: dozens of couples around the world are unable to travel to Ukraine and collect their babies according to Reuters.

At the start of the year, Argentinian couple José Perez and Flavia Lavorino were anticipating the arrival of their baby, who would be born via a surrogate in Ukraine.

Their plan to fly to Kiev and retrieve their newborn was derailed once the coronavirus pandemic began to escalate.

In mid-March, Ukraine closed its borders to travelers, making it impossible for Perez and Lavorino, and countless other couples expecting babies born via surogate, to reach their newborns, reported Reuters.

The couple's baby, Manu, was born during Ukraine's lockdown and, so far, Perez and Lavorino have only been able to meet their child through pictures and videos.

"Any parent who thinks about their child being far away knows the worry and the pain," Perez told Reuters. "I'd say the words 'worry' and 'pain' don't even do justice describing the feelings we have."

Currently, Manu is among dozens of other children stuck in Hotel Venice, a building that belongs to surrogacy clinic BioTexCom.

The center recently released footage of the babies to the public to put pressure on the Ukrainian government to find a way to get the children to their respective parents across the world.

"It's a very difficult situation. We get photos and video of Manu once a week," Perez told Reuters. "They did a video call with us when he turned one month, but it's very hard."

While Perez and Lavorino have been trying to work out a way to fly to Kiev with the Ukrainian government, they've been told they will need approval from the Argentinian embassy, which adds another layer of bureaucracy. They are petitioning the Argentinian government to approve a flight for them to see their child.

"At one point they unofficially told us that they are dealing primarily with the most vulnerable," Perez said. "And I wonder, is a 47-day-old baby not vulnerable? I think so."

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