Madonna opens new children’s hospital in Malawi named after her daughter
Madonna has opened a new children’s hospital in Malawai.
The legendary singer beamed with pride as she opened the new peadiatric ward funded by her charity.
The 58-year-old singer was joined by her three adoptive children Stella, Mercy and David for the unveiling.
(Photo credit AMOS GUMULIRA/AFP/Getty Images)
Madonna officially opened the new unit as she unveiled a plaque baring the name of the brand new structure.
The Mercy James Institute for Paediatric Surgery and Intensive Care at the city’s Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital is named after one of her children, Mercy James.
The new wing has taken two years to build and contains three operating theatres and a 50-bed ward.
It’s the first specialist health unit for children opened in Malawi.
The new institue means the capacity for paediatric care at the hospital will now be doubled.
The US pop queen adopted two children from the African nation a few months earlier.
Announcing that she had adopted the girls, Madonna wrote on Instagram: “I can officially confirm I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi and am overjoyed that they are now part of our family.
“I am deeply grateful to all those in Malawi who helped make this possible, and I ask the media please to respect our privacy during this transitional time.
“Thank you also to my friends, family and my very large team for all your support and Love!”
She recently shared an adorable picture of her newly adopted twins from Malawi wearing matching outfits.
And in a later post, she shared a picture of the twins wearing matching Adidas outfits.
She adopted David Banda and Mercy James, which she applied for in 2006 and 2009 respectively.
Court papers revealed the singer said she felt duty-bound to adopt the four-year-old girls, named Esther and Stella, from an orphanage after discovering information about their backgrounds through her charity work.
Their mother had died shortly after childbirth, while their father had re-maried and left the children.
Their grandparents had been left to bring up the sisters, but felt overwhelmed by the task.
Ruling, Judge Fiona Mwale said the singer was able to supply a loving home life for the twins in “a luxurious, spacious and comfortable abode in an affluent neighbourhood” of the US.
“Her charity work brings her into contact with orphanages… and it was as a result of this contact that she felt compelled to fill a gap in their lives and open up her home to them,” the judge said.
