Local family of adopted Russian girl react to Russia's adoption - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Local family of adopted Russian girl react to Russia's adoption ban

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By Gerron Jordan - email

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DRY CREEK, LA (KPLC) -

Pastor Sam Burchard reads the Bible story of the crippled man to his kids; four of them, ages 4-16. But for this Dry Creek family, this picture perfect life has had its struggles. 

"I had a daughter in 2001 that was stillborn and then the same doctor delivered my son who was basically dead at birth but he was revived," said Tammy Burchard. "Because of that he had the brain injury and passed away at three."

Learning the complications of having another baby naturally, they turned to adoption.

"We felt that it would be a little safer to go to a foreign adoption to explore that and in doing so we found Victoria," Sam said. 

That was in 2005, when Victoria was just three years old. The blue eyed, blonde haired Russian girl lived in and out of orphanages and hospitals alone.

"Before that, she was alone and when she was found there was nowhere to put her so she was in a hospital because there was nowhere else for about 6-8 months," said Tammy. 

Those are conditions the Burchards say orphans are still living in today in Russia. With Friday's announcement to ban American adoption of Russian children, they say only the children will suffer. 

"That's what breaks my heart," Tammy said. "Is all the kids that- the common Russian folk- can not afford their own kids and the orphans aren't going to ... they're not going to have a home."

For the hundreds of families forced to face the news that they can't bring home the kids they once promised they would, the Burchards point to God as a main source of strength. 

"It would be my hope that they understand that there is a God who loves children and wants to see them in homes and their trust in him can be bigger than a political decision," Sam said. 

"It's kind of equivalent to a miscarriage," said Tammy. "You thought it was going to happen you have the bedroom ready, you brought some of the clothes and it's just heart-wrenching.  If you're in that circle that you're friends or family to those people, you need to love them just as if they suffered a loss."

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