A girl whose adoptive parents accused her of being an adult has made some new shocking claims about the family.

Natalia Grace, who has a rare form of dwarfism, was born in Ukraine before she came to the US for adoption in 2003.

Kristine and Michael Barnett, from Indiana, adopted the youngster in 2010, however, the family successfully petitioned to Marion County court to change Natalia’s birthdate to 1989 just two years later, citing the girl had public hair, adult teeth and was menstruating.

The new birth record legally changed Natalia’s age from eight to 22 overnight.

Natalia’s unique story captured worldwide attention when the documentary about her adoption, The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, hit our screens.

The documentary showed the Barnetts’ claim the Ukrainian orphan was not a six-year-old child but an adult who was masquerading as a minor – and claimed Natalia had even tried to harm Kristine by poisoning her coffee and dragging her towards an electric fence.

The Barnetts eventually moved Natalia into an apartment to live by herself while they cut all contact with her and moved to Canada in 2013.

Natalia’s real age has since been proven (Investigation Discovery)

A DNA test in 2023 then estimated Natalia was about 22 years old, meaning she would’ve been around nine when her adoptive parents left her to her own devices.

Her adoptive family were then charged with neglect of a dependent but Michael was found not guilty and the charges against Kristine were dropped.

Now, Natalia has spoken out about her ordeal in a rare interview with PEOPLE.

Natalia said she struggled to adapt to life on her own, particularly manoeuvring around her second-storey flat with her disability.

“I really disliked being the girl who was re-aged and lived in her own apartment,” she said.

“I didn’t understand why I was alone. I just knew I had this instinct in me to push and survive.”

The young woman has spoken out about her ordeal (Warner Bros. Discovery)

The young woman then claimed she was ‘coached’ to lie about her age, adding: “All I was told was, ‘You’re 22 now. Whenever somebody asks you what your age is, you say you’re 22 and you tried to murder your family.’ I was taught to lie.”

Natalia also accused her former adoptive mother of hitting her with a belt, pepper-spraying her in the face and giving her too much prescribed medication while denying the claims that she tried to injure Kristine.

She said: “Do I look like somebody that could push someone twice my size into a fence? Do I look like I could even grip a knife?

“I feel like I was brainwashed by the Barnetts.”

In response to allegations, Kristine wrote in a post on Facebook that Natalia was ‘not abused’ and that her allegations are ‘just plain false’ before branding her a ‘sociopath’.

Michael Barnett also claimed on Good Morning America that doctors treating Natalia said she was a ‘con artist’.

Natalia’s life seemed to turn around when she was adopted by the Mans family, yet the final episodes, due to premiere on January 6 and 7, suggest her new family don’t trust her.

Natalia is also said to allege Antwon and Cynthia Mans have subjected her to further physical and psychological abuse.

A seven-year-old girl has died after being hit by a car outside a pharmacy in Miami.

Stephanie Alonso died on Friday after she was hit by a Red Nissan SUV on Monday.

The vehicle was being driven by a 92-year-old woman, who reportedly told police that her brakes had stopped working.

However, police have since said that the driver appeared to hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

The car then sideswiped Stephanie’s mom and hit Stephanie.

Investigators have said that CCTV footage shows that the car appearing to accelerate prior to the crash

Mike Vega, a public information officer for Miami Police, said: “Instead of pressing the brakes, the 92-year-old accelerates, and we can see that the vehicle accelerates and goes right toward them.

Stephanie Alonso died after being hit by a car (CBS News)

“It sideswipes the mother, hits the girl.”

Vega added: “She was not pinned under the car; she was actually right next to the vehicle.”

Miami Police have not made the driver’s identity public aside from her age.

Vega said: “We issued a ticket for careless driving, but we did not issue it to her yet because we have to wait on the outcome of the case.”

Following the incident, Stephanie was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in a critical condition.

Despite the efforts of medical staff to save her, she tragically died on Friday.

Stephanie’s eighth birthday would have been on September 21.

In an interview with WTVJ, her father, Joany Figueredo, said: “She hit my daughter, and she hit the wall. She got out of the car and acted like nothing happened.”

Stephanie died in hospital four days after the crash (CBS News)

Speaking prior to his daughter’s death he said: “When I am alone and see a picture of her, I break down and start crying. It’s too hard.”

Figueredo added: “What is happening? Why is a person who is 92 years old driving? There should be an age limit for driving.”

Police are currently investigating the crash and it has not been confirmed yet whether the driver of the car will face charges.

A GoFundMe for the family was started to cover Stephanie’s medical expenses, but included the tragic update that she died from her injuries.

It described Stephanie as a ‘smart, happy and loving 7-year-old girl’ and a ‘bright and joyful little girl’, and said that the crash has ‘shattered our hearts’.

In a tragic update, the GoFundMe said: “Our beloved Stephanie has sadly passed away. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and support during this very difficult time.” 

A mom has issued a stark warning about kissing young children in light of what happened to her daughter.

Eight-year-old Breelyn was born a healthy and happy baby, but she fell seriously unwell after someone kissed her on the mouth when she was just two days old.

It turned out the person who kissed her had a cold sore, sparking Breelyn to get HSV encephalitis.

Breelyn was born a healthy baby. (Special Books by Special Kids/YouTube)

Because Breelyn’s immune system wasn’t developed at the time, the virus went on to cause brain damage as the encephalitis spread.

Speaking about Breelyn and the experience that led to her disability, her mom explained in a video shared to the Special Books by Special Kids’ YouTube channel: “When parents say not to kiss your children, this is one of the reasons for sure.

“[Breelyn] was born healthy. She was fine. And at two days old, somebody was so excited to see her that they kissed her on the mouth, and two weeks later we started having seizures.”

The seizures went to cause ‘a lot of brain damage’ for Breelyn, as well the Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE).

The illness is extremely rare and only effects one in 500,000 individuals per year.

Breelyn’s mom opened up about her condition. (Special Books by Special Kids/YouTube)

The interviewer went on to ask how the kiss caused Breelyn’s brain injury, to which her mom said: “The infection got into her brain fluid and it attacked her brain.

“It attack the left side of her brain mostly. It had just started moving over to the right side when we caught it.”

“More or less, the encephalitis ate away at her brain tissue,” she added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Breelyn’s mom revealed that 60 percent of her left part of the young girl’s brain was left damaged, while 10 percent of the right side was.

While the youngster is doing better than hoped with the extent of her brain damage in mind, sadly she isn’t expected to live into adulthood.

Despite Breelyn being left with life-changing injuries from the kiss, her mom says she’s forgiven the person who did it.

“You know, it was an accident and they didn’t truly mean it,” she said.

Many people have since commented on the video sharing their surprise at the detrimental affects it can have on a baby if you kiss them.

One person said: “I never knew a baby could get so sick from a kiss, totally shocking.”

Another added: “I had no idea the dangers of kissing a baby until I saw this. I’m almost 30.”

“Kissing is unsanitary by nature, but I never thought that this was possible,” a third added. “That’s heartbreaking.”

With people’s lack of knowledge on the matter in mind, many have called for more awareness to be raised about the dangers of kissing babies.

The owner of Willie the goat has spoken out in the hopes that a 17-year-old receives ‘jail time’.

In October, Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park held a competitive livestock show where students were invited to take part with their animals to win certificates and cash prizes.

An arrest affidavit seen by PEOPLE states the goat showed signs of respiratory distress and started convulsing.

The animal later passed away the day after the competition and his death was ruled as pesticide intoxication as per the autopsy.

Vanlandingham allegedly confessed to killing the goat to authorities, branding the daughter of Billie’s owner a ‘cheater’ alongside allegedly confessing to having tried to kill Willie before too.

Police also conduced a search of Vanlandingham’s phone.

Aubrey Vanlandingham allegedly confessed to the crime (Williamson County Sheriff’s Office)

On the phone, the affidavit claims authorities discovered search history relating to the poisoning of animals with alleged searches online such as ‘If goats inject bleach do they die’ and ‘How much bleach kills a goat,’ alongside ‘Poisoning pets, what you should know’.

Police are reported by the Post as later obtaining security footage from the school which shows a female student using a drench gun (syringe used for goats and similar livestock) to force-feed the goat too.

The student can then be seen leaving the goat but returning to check on him twice in two hours, before calling the mother of her schoolmate – who owned the goat – to say Willy seemed sick.

And Willie’s owner – mom of the other student at the school – has since spoken out.

The show took place at Vista Ridge High School (Facebook/ Vista Ridge High School)

In an exclusive interview with the Mail Online, choosing to remain anonymous, the mom said they were there when Willie passed away, her daughter actually ‘holding him’.

“That was very traumatic,” she added.

The mom alleges Vanlandingham ‘admitted to poisoning [Willie] multiple times over several days’ and the family doesn’t ‘believe’ the teenager is showing ‘any’ true ‘remorse’.

The mom says they hope the 17-year-old doesn’t just ‘get a slap on the wrist,’ but receives ‘jail time’ and also ‘gets some kind of mental help’.

If found guilty, Vanlandingham could face a $10,000 fine and up to two years in prison.

Aubrey’s attorney is reported as having previously released a statement reading: “My minor client and her family are working hard to resolve any legal issues and non-legal issues raised by these allegations, and we are thankful for a judicial process that will let us tell our story.”

Crestina Hardie, the Chief Communications Officer for Leander Independent School District, which includes Vista Ridge, said in a statement to the Austin American-Statesman: “The district believes the security measures in place, including surveillance footage as well as routine supervision by agriculture science teachers, provided the evidence law enforcement needed to complete the investigation.

“While the district cannot comment on the status of the student, disciplinary action was taken consistent with policy and procedures.”

A spokesperson from The Texas FFA Association told UNILAD: “The Texas FFA Association positively impacts members by fostering a culture of accountability that emphasizes the highest standards of leadership and ethics. Through our programs, Texas FFA and agricultural science education encourage individuals to lead with integrity, make ethical decisions, and uphold the organization’s core values. Chapters are encouraged to use learning standards that address the welfare and safe handling of animals, and those skills are reinforced through the student’s Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE).

“Members are encouraged to demonstrate ethical behavior in all activities, from competitions to community service. Texas FFA does not condone any behavior that compromises ethical standards, animal welfare, or the integrity of its programs. This commitment to accountability shapes the character of our members, preparing them to be exemplary leaders who positively impact the agricultural industry and beyond.”