Anastasiya Minkova collapsed in shock when she arrived home from a trip last September to find that her husband had moved out and taken their two-year-old son.
The US-Russian citizen is now fighting for custody of the child, who CNN is calling Ren to protect his identity.
The last time Minkova saw Ren was six months ago – when they spent 30 minutes together, playing with toys at a children’s home, under the watchful eye of staff.
“My son held onto me tightly and would not let go. He pressed his head against my chest, and it felt like he was relieved to finally see me,” Minkova told CNN.
“When the time was up, I felt…