Singer Madonna has revealed that she was told she “wasn’t fit to be a parent” when she tried to adopt daughter Mercy from a Malawian orphanage, following her divorce from Guy Ritchie.

 

She made the revelation while speaking at the opening of a new medical facility for children in Malawi, the Mercy James Institute for Paediatric Surgery and Intensive Care.

 

Madonna explained how she had met both her adopted children, David Banda, 11, and Mercy James, also 11, around the same time.

 

She said: “I met Mercy soon after I met my son David, but they were living in different orphanages. David was in Mchinji in Home of Hope, and Mercy was here in Blantyre. Mercy was suffering from malaria and David from pneumonia.

 

“When I held each of them in my arms, I whispered in their ears, that I would look after them. I promised them that they would grow up into strong and healthy adults.”

 

 

Its a Family Affair!! At the Opening of The Mercy James Center!!  @raisingmalawi

A post shared by Madonna (@madonna) on

 

Madonna adopted David first but when she attempted to adopt Mercy, she was blocked by the female judge presiding over the case.

 

“I was recently divorced, and she informed me, as a divorced woman, I was not fit to raise children and that Mercy James was better off growing up in an orphanage,” the star said.

 

Malawi’s adoption laws are very outdated and Madonna was determined to find a way around them.

 

The feisty singer went on to explain how she defied the judge’s ruling to successfully adopt Mercy.

 

“If you know me, you can imagine how I received this information. It's true, I am a freedom fighter. I am a feminist. But I am also a compassionate and intelligent human being.

 

 

“And if you cannot give me a logical reason for the word ‘no,’ then I will not accept the word ‘no’. I hired a team of lawyers, and I took my case to the supreme court, and it was not an easy battle.

 

“The adoption laws in Malawi had not been reformed since the early forties, and it had not occurred to anyone to change them yet. So my argument was that women have been raising children for centuries, on their own ... not to mention the fact that I was doing just fine raising my own three children.”

 

Madonna won eventually won the right to adopt the little girl and has since adopted two more children, four-year-old twins Stella and Estere.

 

Madonna’s children accompanied her to the launch of the new facility at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and young Mercy joined her mum on stage for a hug.

 

Madonna concluded her speech saying: “I fought for Mercy, and I won. It wasn't easy. And with the blood, sweat, and tears of so many people here today, we fought for this hospital - and we won. So I'm here to say: never, ever give up on your dreams. Never stop fighting for what you believe in.”

Latest

Trending