American Aislinn Hubbard and her daughter have made it safely to Slovenia. Screenshot from WCBV TV
A 19-year-old Massachusetts woman and her 9-month-old son have finally managed to escape from the war-torn nation of Ukraine unharmed.
Aislinn and Seraphim Hubbard are now free. Image courtesy of boston.com
Born at the Height of the Pandemic
Aislinn Hubbard has been studying at the prestigious Kyiv Choreographic College since 2018, before the world took a turn for the worse. She had also been busy teaching English as a second language. Ms. Hubbard had her son at home during the pandemic and hadn’t managed to obtain the necessary documents (a passport or birth certificate) for traveling with her baby. At the time of his birth, she hadn’t anticipated an urgent need to have to flee the country.
Not long after the birth of her child, Ms. Hubbard had been advised by her parents and the US State Department that she should get a DNA test to make exiting the country easier in the event war broke out. She did.
A family attorney working with Aislinn to get her the necessary identifying paperwork for Seraphim died of a sudden heart attack before making much progress. It seemed the odds were against her. She described her situation briefly over the last few months as “a series of unfortunate events.”
Little Help From the Government
Aislinn’s father, Dr. William Hubbard, went to Ukraine shortly after the war with Russia broke out in an attempt to bring his daughter and grandson back to their home in Massachusetts.
Dr. Hubbard wrote to his Senators and Congressperson but ended up with little to show for his efforts. Regarding the situation, he said:
“They just give us lip service. They emailed us two weeks ago and said to go back to Lviv and wait several weeks with no place to stay for some imaginary birth certificate to show up from a civil authority that’s not functioning because everyone has left.”
A 19-year-old Massachusetts woman and her 9-month-old son have finally managed to escape from the war-torn nation of Ukraine unharmed.
Aislinn and Seraphim Hubbard are now free. Image courtesy of boston.com
Born at the Height of the Pandemic
Aislinn Hubbard has been studying at the prestigious Kyiv Choreographic College since 2018, before the world took a turn for the worse. She had also been busy teaching English as a second language. Ms. Hubbard had her son at home during the pandemic and hadn’t managed to obtain the necessary documents (a passport or birth certificate) for traveling with her baby. At the time of his birth, she hadn’t anticipated an urgent need to have to flee the country.
Not long after the birth of her child, Ms. Hubbard had been advised by her parents and the US State Department that she should get a DNA test to make exiting the country easier in the event war broke out. She did.
A family attorney working with Aislinn to get her the necessary identifying paperwork for Seraphim died of a sudden heart attack before making much progress. It seemed the odds were against her. She described her situation briefly over the last few months as “a series of unfortunate events.”
Little Help From the Government
Aislinn’s father, Dr. William Hubbard, went to Ukraine shortly after the war with Russia broke out in an attempt to bring his daughter and grandson back to their home in Massachusetts.
Dr. Hubbard wrote to his Senators and Congressperson but ended up with little to show for his efforts. Regarding the situation, he said:
“They just give us lip service. They emailed us two weeks ago and said to go back to Lviv and wait several weeks with no place to stay for some imaginary birth certificate to show up from a civil authority that’s not functioning because everyone has left.”
He added: “I feel like our senators and our congressperson have abandoned us to our own demise.”
Following this series of bureaucratic setbacks, the Hubbards had no choice but to attempt to cross the border into safety independently.
Forcefully Separated
When they reached the Slovak border, Ms. Hubbard had Seraphim ripped from her arms out of apparent concerns over human trafficking because she lacked the proper paperwork. Her son was returned to her later, but only after Aislinn showed Ukrainian government officials private, intimate photographs of her giving birth to Seraphim.
The Hubbards offered up the DNA testing results along with a letter from the US State Department confirming the child’s identity, but they were still detained at the border.
Dr. Hubbard explains what happened to them at the military camp:
“They took us into custody, separated the baby from my daughter, and questioned us. The cops brought my daughter to a maternity hospital, then later gave the baby back to us.”
Speaking about the gruff manner in which they were treated, Dr. Hubbard went on to say, “They didn’t care.” At one point, Ukrainian officials offered Aislinn the option of leaving the country — without her son. Of course, that wasn’t going to happen.
After some pleading with the camp administrator, the family was eventually allowed to leave.
Dr. Hubbard getting to know his new grandson. Image courtesy of WCBV TV.
Making It Out on Their Own
Realizing they were not going to get any help from either the governments of the US or Ukraine, the family did the only thing they could do and began hiking through the mountains towards Slovakia.
They trekked several miles, braving rugged terrain and near-freezing temperatures until safely crossing the border to freedom.
As someone who’s seen what happens when the truth is distorted, I know how unfair it feels when those who’ve sacrificed the most lose their voice. At SOFREP, our veteran journalists, who once fought for freedom, now fight to bring you unfiltered, real-world intel. But without your support, we risk losing this vital source of truth. By subscribing, you’re not just leveling the playing field—you’re standing with those who’ve already given so much, ensuring they continue to serve by delivering stories that matter. Every subscription means we can hire more veterans and keep their hard-earned knowledge in the fight. Don’t let their voices be silenced. Please consider subscribing now.
One team, one fight,
Brandon Webb former Navy SEAL, Bestselling Author and Editor-in-Chief
Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world.
PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States
Scrubba Wash Bag
Our ultra-portable washing machine makes your journey easier. This convenient, pocket-sized travel companion allows you to travel lighter while helping you save money, time and water.
Our roots in shooting sports started off back in 1996 with our founder and CEO, Josh Ungier. His love of airguns took hold of our company from day one and we became the first e-commerce retailer dedicated to airguns, optics, ammo, and accessories. Over the next 25 years, customers turned to us for our unmatched product selection, great advice, education, and continued support of the sport and airgun industry.
COMMENTS
There are on this article.
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.