North Carolina Family Adopts Child From Russia

Glade Valley, NC -- Not being able to have a child is an emptiness that hundreds of thousands of couples know all too well. The dream of adopting fills that, but now, many families' dreams may no longer come true.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will sign a bill, which bans Americans from adopting Russian children.

Putin claims US authorities deny access to the adopted Russian children and that Americans suspected of violence towards Russian adoptees go unpunished.

Americans adopted close to 1,000 Russian children last year, according to U.S. State Department figures.

In 2007, Dawn and Keenan Mustin adopted their son Gavin from Russia.

"He was mine from day 1," explained Dawn. "There are not words to explain it; it's a wonderful connection and a beautiful thing that this is your forever child, and you will be a forever family and he will love you and you will love him and it will be no different than if you had given birth."

The Mustin's adoption process was stalled when Russia temporarily closed the door on international adoptions.

"It was devastating... it's almost like your world comes crashing down," said Dawn. "The families right now are very devastated about what is happening to them. They may have met their child and they can't go back and get their child. Or they're preparing for their second trip and they may not be able to go get their child and they've already had a connection with that child so it would be very hard."

"For parents that are caught up in the mess, hang in there, there is a child there for you. Somewhere, God has a perfect child planned for you," said Dawn.

The Mustins are in the process of adopting a little girl from Bulgaria. They hope to make their first trip sometime next year.

UNICEF estimates that there are about 740,000 children without parental custody in Russia.