“I fought for Mercy, and I won. It wasn’t easy...," said the singer.
Madonna is undoubtedly one of the most sensational singers in the entertainment world. However, in addition to being a glorified performer, 62-year-old Madonna is also the mother of six beautiful children, out of which four were adopted. However, the singer, who has had her share of unsuccessful relationships, had to go through some challenges to adopt them. Her oldest is daughter Lourdes from her marriage with personal trainer and actor Carlos Leon, and Rocco, her second-born, is her son with director Guy Ritchie.
After successfully adopting her first son, David Banda in 2006, the singer was keen on adopting Mercy James from Malawi the following year. Unfortunately, the courts in the country did not favor the adoption due to Madonna's marital status. But the singer was determined.
Looking back, she stated, "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 at Kondanani. Mercy was suffering from malaria and David from pneumonia. And when I held each of them in my arms, I whispered in their ears, that I would look after them," according to People.
She continued, "And I promised them that they would grow up into strong and healthy adults."
Further, the singer explained that the judge thought she was unfit to adopt Mercy as she was a divorced woman. At the time, Madonna was in the midst of separating from her second husband Guy Ritchie.
“I was granted permission to adopt David first. And some time later, I filed a petition to adopt Mercy. But this time, the judge who was presiding said no. 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," recounted Madonna.
Madonna was shocked by the judge's order, but she was unwilling to take no for an answer. “If you know me, you can imagine how I received this information. It’s true, I am a freedom fighter. I am a feminist. I am a rebel heart. 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,” said the Grammy-winning singer.
Consequently, she challenged the age-old adoption laws in Malawi and argued, "Women have been raising children for centuries, on their own." She also stated that she was already raising three children on her own at the time.
Despite the difficulties that came her way, Madonna continued her fight. “I never gave up. And I never backed down. And I believe that if you want something badly enough in life, the universe will conspire to help you get it. It may not be exactly when you want it, it may not come exactly when you think it’s gonna come. It may not come in the package that you want it. But if you persevere, you will win,” said the performer.
Ultimately, victory was hers. “I fought for Mercy, and I won. It wasn’t easy... So I’m here to say: never, ever give up on your dreams. Never stop fighting for what you believe in. And finally: Love conquers all," said the singer.
Ahead of her new album release, @Madonna sat down with @HarrySmith and opened up about motherhood and what it has taught her, "the more kids you have, the better you get at being a parent," she says. pic.twitter.com/B5JPp3BnTk
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 13, 2019
In the years that followed, Madonna went on to adopt two more kids.
On various occasions, the singer has candidly spoken of motherhood. "It's reminded me how precious time is and how each child requires attention and vigilance and guidance in a different way. You have to be ready for anything," said the singer to NBC's Today, according to UPI.
She also added, "The more kids that you have the better you get at being a parent. It's like everything, the more songs I write the better I get as a songwriter."
References:
https://people.com/parents/madonna-how-she-fought-to-adopt-daughter-mercy-james/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Matt Winkelmeyer and (R) Win McNamee
