Madonna Takes New Daughter Mercy Home
June 15 2009, Published 11:07 a.m. ET
The rags-to-riches story of Chifundo "Mercy" James continues.
The four-year-old girl -- who pop icon Madonna was permitted to adopt by Malawi officials last week after an arduous legal battle -- will move into the singer's posh Malawi mansion called Kumbali Lodge.
A nanny and nurse have been flown into the African nation from the US to take care of the tot, who was previously living in an Malawi orphanage.
A source told Mirror.co.uk: "Her life will now change beyond recognition. The next few months will be very strange, but Madonna has a tight team around her to ensure that the transition is as smooth and loving as possible.”
The child's mother died during childbirth at 15; the child's biological father, street vendor James Kambewa, said he has abandoned his efforts to gain custody of the child.
"I am asking Madonna to make sure that, while the child is growing, she must be informed of me as her biological father," he said. "She really must know that while she is far away, her father is still alive."
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