The couple's daughter was born prematurely, just as Russian troops invaded the country. Photo / Getty Images
A Melbourne couple are trying desperately to get into Ukraine in a bid to bring home their baby daughter, who was born via surrogate a week ago.
Jessica van Nooten and her husband Kevin raced to book flights to Ukraine when their daughter, Alba, was born prematurely at 28 weeks in a hospital in Odessa on February 22.
But the invasion of Ukraine by Russia left the couple stranded in Dubai Airport when their entry into the country was cancelled.
Their plane was then diverted to Poland.
The couple, both chefs, are now in Warsaw, and are currently trying to find a way to get their daughter out of the war-torn country safely.
"We had 15 embryo transfers and a miscarriage and this baby's just so wanted and it's been such a long road to get her and now she's within arm's reach and I can't get there," Ms van Nooten told Nine News.
"She is our world."
It has been a difficult journey for the couple to become parents.
"They have been together for 20 years, and after suffering for seven long years of primary infertility, multiple IVF rounds, surgeries and specialists, they began their surrogacy journey and made the decision to employ the help of a surrogacy agency in Ukraine," friend Kara Pangrazio said on a Mycause page set up to help the couple.
"As this situation is changing rapidly it is not yet known logistically how [bringing Alba home] will happen."
Alba, who is the genetic daughter of Jessica and Kevin, is currently in the NICU suffering a small bleed on the brain as well as underdeveloped lungs and intestines.
The surrogate mother is also receiving care in the hospital.
"Jess and Kev came to the decision of using a Ukrainian surrogacy programme after a lot of careful consideration, including the legality, wait times in years, ethics and costs," Pangrazio wrote on the Mycause page.
"[They] began their surrogate journey in April 2021, when the Ukraine was a safe country and well before any of us were aware of the deteriorating situation," she said.
"Jess and Kevin are incredibly grateful for all the support they have received so far and hope to share happier news with you as soon as possible."
Now Ms van Nooten is just focused on getting to her daughter.
"Somehow there's got a be a way to get there. I'll swim if I have to," she told Nine News.
"We just need this baby. We just need Alba to be strong."
The new free open-air saltwater pool is already proving popular.