Madonna's New Daughter Leaves Malawi On Private Jet

LILONGWE, Malawi — Madonna's new daughter has flown out of her native Malawi on a private jet headed for London, an airport employee and a person familiar with Madonna's adoption proceedings in this southern African country said Saturday.

The airport employee, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter, said 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James left late Friday headed to London, with a stop in neighboring South Africa. The girl, the second child Madonna has adopted from Malawi, was reportedly accompanied on the flight by a nanny, a child nurse and a third aide.

The person familiar with the adoption, who also was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said the girl known as Mercy should have reached London on Saturday morning. Madonna has homes in England and in the United States.

Malawi's highest court had granted the adoption June 12, overturning an April lower court ruling that Madonna had not spent enough time in Malawi to be given a child.

The high court said the first judge had imposed too narrow a definition of residency, and lauded Madonna for her work with children in a poor country where half a million have lost a parent to AIDS.

Madonna's Raising Malawi, a charity founded in 2006, helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's orphans.

Madonna adopted a son, David, from Malawi last year.

Children's welfare groups had expressed concern that rules meant to protect children were being bent because of Madonna's celebrity, and perhaps out of gratitude for what she has done for Malawi.

Madonna met Mercy in 2006 at Kondanani Children's Village, an orphanage in Bvumbwe, just south of Blantyre. It was the same year she began the process of adopting David, whom she found at another orphanage in central Malawi.

The girl's 18-year-old mother was unmarried and died soon after she gave birth. Since Madonna moved to adopt the girl, a dispute has arisen between the girl's maternal relatives, who agreed to the adoption, and a man who says he is the father and wants to care for the girl himself, but acknowledged he had never seen Mercy.

Madonna first traveled to Malawi in 2006 while filming a documentary on its devastating poverty and AIDS crisis.

In addition to David, the 50-year-old Madonna has two other children: Lourdes, 12, and Rocco, 8.

Reports that Madonna would in the next few days visit her charity's projects in Malawi could not be confirmed.

Comments

[riverway]

There is no excuse for irresponsible parenting in Malawi or in the U.S. Money or no, children who suffer emotional neglect and isolation are scarred for life. I lived in Kenya for a year. THere, where AIDS is rife, and children are raised by grandparents, or even a neighbor, there is a lot of love, but no money. And yes, God forbid a ten year old child has to cook dinner! Money doesn't solve everything. Madonna's children are neglected, and have a parade of varying caregivers, and often do not see their mother for weeks, nor their father. Private jets and loneliess? Let's just hope the children form a bond together. The egos of these out of touch stars kills me. They could, instead, limit themselves to ONE chateau, and give the 17 million dollars they save to Africa, and solve that continent;s debt...Abs­urd!

[civilizedthinker]

Complainers: get off M's case, off the computer and into some type of volunteer group for underprivledged children.

"Our own" - you mean our world's children??

If you think these children aren't better off with Madonna, go meet some orphans - in Africa or elsewhere - and think again. Better yet, go to Africa and see some real life. Kids there don't have to wait till they're teenagers to have spoiled-rich-kids "problems". They often have adult sized problems at birth. Read about current events and get yourselves informed.

That child probably knew her nanny better than your kids know you! Get off the computer and play with them!

[brandnewstuff]

So What by Miles Davis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEC8nqT6Rrk

[Hemkit]

Well, I hope young Mercy develops a special bond with her caretakers. "Thanks for Mom for leaving me with complete strangers to go on an airplane to a place I've never been before." Can't wait for Madonna's parenting book.

[civilizedthinker]

You probably need it.

[tsanders726]

My comments have pretty well been covered, but here goes:
If she wants to be this child's mother so badly, why wasn't she there to bring her to her new home?
To send a nurse and a nanny to retrieve her seems so pathetic. I can hear the conversation years down the road
"remember when mummy sent the nanny to bring you to me.. wasn't that a great day?"

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

So Madonna You just "order out" a child and have her delivered to you. Mother of the Year for sure.

[littlewitch]

You know I want to feel good about this ...but two things bother me.

This has got to be a monumental experience for little Mercy, Both exciting and scary. It is unfathomable to me that someone wanting to be a parent to this child has no interest in being there with her to see the look on her face and to hold her close during this life changing trip. It could/should have been a major bonding experience­...That the child will share with the nanny and the nurse.

Madonna seems sooo cold.

Also I read in several places that her youngest adopted Malawi son ,David Banda, Had liked Mercy and that was why she was adopting her. Sort of like a "pet" for David Banda.

Creepy. Creepy, cold, and calculated.

There is more to childhood than living in affluence. Children need love and lots of attention. Mercy already is sent the message that she "wasn't worth the trip" her "mother " would have had to make to bring her "home" to her new life. A few more years on the analysts couch when she grows up.

[NPA]

Madonna is having a mid life crisis. Get me another one she exclaims!

[MyGuyO]

Maybe Madonna should adopt our own for a change. They are hurting just the same as other children of the world.

[crayola 08b]

american babies don't keep their retail value.

[kapalabhati]

MGO: I give you the benefit of the doubt, because O is MG, also. I don't intend to take a position on the Madonna thing. Enough ink has been spilled over this matter, that I can't really add anything else to the mix. But, "Our Own?" The term "our own" has such a xenophobic ring to it, apart from the fact that American adoptions can be very lenghty, byzantine, and often unsuccessful. Individuals adopt from all over the world for many reasons. That any child of any country of our planet has a chance of a better life is something to be celebrated. One World, One Heart.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Good for them both.

Hope the child has a happy life.

[MrButtons]

When will these celebrities start realizing that private jets are bad for the environment?

End the madness. Ban all private jets!

[blimie]

It's very big celebrity of her not to be with Mercy as she leaves her homeland to go to a new home. That would be scary for a child.

[kath09]

I'm happy for any child who can be adopted but question her motives, just going on her escapades of the past, her character etc etc etc. Maybe she is growing up finally at 50? maybe..one can hope

[Jamesdean]

To all those who criticize Madonna, please tell me what you have done to help kids?

[Hemkit]

I've done absolutely nothing, but I can tell you what I wouldn't do...I wouldn't "adopt" a child in a foreign land and send her off to London without me being there by her side AS HER MOTHER!!!! If Madonna really wants to help these kids, pay for food and medical care and rebuild the orphanage.

[DrJohnnySkeptic]

Wasn't she doing the buy one, get one free plan?

[Rmchairphilo]

Congratulations to Madonna and her family! Madonna is walking the walk; putting her money where her mouth is by providing not only for the children she has adopted but also many other AIDS orphans in Malawi, and being criticized for it, probably by people who can't be bothered with human suffering and whose only purpose in life is to consume. Probably by people living in mcmansions, driving SUV's and wearing designer clothes. Now, rather than languishing in an orphanage Mercy will have the chance to live with a family who loves her.

[Hemkit]

You mean with a nanny and 2 aides who love her...