Devon Davenport, of Cary, says his daughter means everything to him, and that's why he is fighting to bring her home.

Seven-month-old Nadia Lynn Drummond has been in Brazil with her mother since Feb. 5, even though a North Carolina court awarded him legal custody of the child after her mother violated their shared custody agreement.

But if a child has a passport, it is very easy for a parent to take him or her out of the country. And it's hard to get that child back.

There are approximately 1,900 U.S. children who have been abducted overseas by a parent.

Davenport's attorney filed a motion asking a judge to order the baby's mother, Larissa Drummond, a native of Brazil, to turn over the baby's passport.

But Brazil has a history of not returning children, even though an international agreement called the Hague Convention on Private International Law requires member countries to return children to their rightful homes within six weeks.

David Goldman, a New Jersey man, has been fighting to get his son back from Brazil since 2004. His very public battle has garnered international media attention for the issue. Davenport hopes Goldman's plight will help open the door for cases like his.

"There have been no fathers who have successfully used the Hague Convention in Brazil and gotten their children back," Davenport said.

Still Davenport has filed a request asking Brazil to return his daughter.

"I'll never give up," he said. "It's not an option for me. (I'll) keep fighting."

For now, Davenport cherishes the memories he has of his daughter.

"Spending time with her was the most important thing to me," he said.