Here is our first look at the first photo of Madonna with the young girl, Chifundo Mercy James, who she is hoping to adopt in Malawi. As you may be aware, Madonna has journeyed to Malawi in order to begin the adoption proceedings so that she can add little Miss Mercy to her family (as well as bring her adopted son David Banda back to his homeland to be reunited with his biological father Youhane) but up until now we haven’t been able to see Maddy and Mercy together. While touring the orphanage that has been home to Mercy for the past few years, Madonna was able to spend time with the little girl who is likely to become her daughter … behold:
LITTLE Mercy James looks back at her orphanage home as she walks away to prepare for her new life as MADONNA’s adopted daughter. The Queen of Pop was pictured with Mercy for the first time yesterday as authorities began finalising the adoption arrangements. Four-year-old Mercy held the hand of new sister Lourdes, 12, as she enjoyed her first family outing. They were surrounded by a posse of minders, but Mercy — wearing a blue dress — was seen laughing and smiling as she joined her new family. Madonna spent over an hour in Malawi’s High Court on Monday, when she told Judge Esme Chombo she would be “a deeply loving mother” to Mercy, whose Malawian name is Chifundo. In adoption papers seen by The Sun, Madonna says: “To deny Chifundo the opportunity to be adopted by me could expose her to hardship and emotional trauma which is otherwise avoidable.” The judge will give an official ruling on Friday — but Madonna, 50, has already been told that her application will succeed. The pop queen is due to fly to Britain on Saturday — and has told staff at her London home to “prepare for the arrival of my new little girl”. Madonna celebrated Monday’s successful meeting by throwing a dinner party at her luxury lodge. A charity worker who attended the bash said Madge was drinking wine and hugging her staff — while her adopted son David held Mercy’s hand and ran around excitedly telling guests: “This is my new sister.” The source said: “Madonna looked incredibly proud and happy, and David was so funny — he couldn’t leave Mercy alone and pulled her around all the guests.” Eight-year-old brother Rocco — Madonna’s son with ex-hubby GUY RITCHIE — has also been helping to welcome Mercy into the family by playing with her in the gardens of the lodge. A senior Malawian official yesterday confirmed that Madonna had been told Mercy was hers. The official told The Sun: “This is all very confidential, and Judge Chombo must still make her ruling — but that ruling will be in favour of Madonna. “Madonna is a very good mother and ambassador for Malawi. She has improved the lives of thousands of orphans.” The approval comes after The Sun told how Madonna had recruited two of Malawi’s leading politicians to help secure her second adoption.
Whether or not this report of Madonna‘s adoption being a “done deal” is true, I think it’s very telling that Madonna and her children are being allowed to spend time with Mercy James. If officials are fine with the little girl getting to know and spend time with her prospective new family then it seems to me that they’re pretty much on board with approving the adoption. I can’t believe that they would be OK with letting the little girl get close to her possible new family if there was any chance that the adoption might not go thru. Not that I really doubted that Madonna would be approved for her adoption but the photo says more to me than this report does. This may be the first photo of Madonna and Mercy but it surely won’t be the last. What a beautiful family Madonna is making for herself. Madge and her children are very lucky to call Mercy James one of their own.
[Source]
Don’t you find it strange that this little girl is holding the nannies hand already??
Ohhh, myBad, is Lourdes really that big already?? Oppsss
For some reason i find the whole topic of celebrity adoptions unsettling. ‘To not adopt her would expose the child to hardship and emotional trauma’, Madonna said. What about the other children in the orphanage, are they just left to be exposed to ‘hardship and emotional trauma’? She would have done more good for charity by donating a large sum of her vast wealth so it enhanced more than one life.
Am I the only one that has a problem with Celebraties adopting from other Countries while there are children in the US that need homes too?
Why can’t they donate money to those Countries and help the general population of homeless children? They have enough money to buy fancy houses, cars, clothes. etc.
Sorry for the rant! My husband was adopted, and I always wonder if his adoptive family didn’t take him in how long would he have had to be moved around between foster homes before finding a permenant one.
I think it is nice for Madonna to adopt this adorable little girl! Also, it gives David a little sister he can really relate to! Let’s not forget that Madonna does so much charity work for that country and it is her money she can donate it any way she pleases! She made her money she has the right to spend it any way she see fit. I don’t see why every body on here is being a negative Nancy and not seeing the good that is being done here. There are plenty of regular people in the United States that cold be adopting children in this country and just don’t and some try for so long but the adoption process in this country is intense!
Positive thoughts = Positive results
Have a great day!!! : )
hope everything works out for madonna!
@ me….ditto. CNN had an interesting story about that, and did a good job tying it into how the underlying problem is the complicated and drawn out adoption process in the US. Like positive underneath you said, it gets long and is intense and most people get disenchanted and give up and go elsewhere…at least normal people anyway. I dunno about a celebrity’s luck with the US system and how much red tape they’d be able to avoid (prob alot). On the whole its a bit perplexing that everyone goes outside their own country and that the US system practically encourages Americans to do that (though Madonna doesn’t really live here anymore). I just find it interesting how people react more strongly to the injustices they see elsewhre in the world, then they do to those in their own backyard.
Im sure people are exposed to more injustice in Malawi (one of the worlds least developed countries) then they are in the United States.
I wonder how many millions this cost Vadge.
Actually Blair
Madonna is doing both. She is donating money to the Malawi orphanage as well as building a school there and adopting Mercy so she isn’t just helping one but many. She is enhancing this child’s life who would have been destined to a life of poverty and hardship why can’t people see that? And her children’s children if she had made it to that age??
@ JJ she may well be donating money to the orphanage which is very commendable. It still makes me feel uneasy that Madonna is singling out ONE childs life to spectacularly enhance out of the many children in that orphanage. Its just doesnt seem fair.
Would any of you be saying this if it were Angelina Jolie? I sincerely doubt it.
Good on Madonna for making a difference somewhere, shes doing a hella lot more then most people. Poor kids probably a bit confused though, already having crowds of people following her around!
bah humbug – you name it.
MADONNA SHOULD RATHER SPEND MONEY FOR THE CHILDREN RATHER THAN JUST ADOPT ONE
sarah – i hate angelina who has her kids raised by nannies as well.
sarah, i hate angelina who has endless staff helping her and Bradny “raise” their children.
Ummm… hello fanny pack?!?!?!! lol
OMG, how did I miss the fanny pack!! lol
lol
heehehehehe
LOL!!
I’m not entirely clear why Madonna attracts so much criticism. But ultimately we should remember that most people in Malawi do not live beyond the age of 50, Mercy’s life expectancy increases straight away by being adopted. That should be enough in itself.
And Madonna seems like type of person who is genuinely interested in other cultures so I can’t see her denying her adopted children future access their racial heritage. After all, she’s already taken David back to meet his biological father in Malawi, which is unheard of in formal adoptions in the West.
And lastly, Madonna has shone a light on a country that most of us hadn’t even heard of before she went there. Yes, perhaps its cultural make-up might shift a little with Western awareness, but at least Madonna has done something that will actively SAVE LIVES.
What have YOU done?
I agree with Gavin completely…Also, it rarely gets mentioned that through Madonna’s Raising Malawi Organization she is building a school for the children of Malawi to attend. She’s not just taking a child and running. As for the people commenting on adopting babies that are going to be raised by nannies…You can’t fault people like Madonna and Angelina because they can afford help. Both of these women are clearly “hands on” parents who spend as much time with their children as possible. I grew up going to a baby sitter because my parents couldn’t afford to stay home with me. That doesn’t make them bad parents. Most people can’t afford to just up and quite their day job just because they have a child. To feed, cloth, educate and give the things a child needs one has to have money. These ladies earn it and take care of their kids. Get over it!