John and Angela Wilmot and Madonna adoption controversy

John and Angela Wilmot, John being a friend I studied with at BTC, have made the third page of the West. I suspect this story could grow, and we might see John and Angela on TV. It appears they are in a adoption row with Madonna. Angela and John have already adopted four boys and where well down the track of adopting Jessica when Madonna spotted her and expressed her desire to adopt her.

Angela has stated that Madonna has done the right thing in adopting David, the child in the middle of the previous controversy.

Story

The singer — who faced a public backlash when she took a 13-monthold boy from Malawi to Britain — is thought to be returning to the impoverished African country to adopt an 18-month-old girl called Jessica. However, the youngster, who was found abandoned under a bush, could find herself caught in a dramatic tug-of-war battle. Australian missionaries Angela and John Wilmot have spoken of their fears that their plans to adopt the little girl could be thwarted by the pop queen. In an interview with Closer magazine in Britain, Mrs Wilmot, 34, said: “We heard that Madonna was interested in a child, who we now hear is Jessica, but we are quite far down the line with our adoption.” The Wilmots said they were already in the process of adopting Jessica when the 48-year-old singer expressed interest in taking her to Britain and made a follow-up visit to the orphanage to see her. The couple, who already have two sons and four adopted children, moved to Malawi seven years ago. Madonna met Jessica at the Kondanani Orphan Care Centre at Blantyre earlier this year. She then “fell in love” with David Banda at the Home of Hope orphanage in Mchinji and took him to London amid a storm of controversy, with some critics claiming the move was not legal. “We knew Madonna was at the orphanage and she’d met all the kids, but we were already in the process of adopting Jessica and we hope we’ll be successful,” Mrs Wilmot said. Kondanani Orphan Care Centre’s Cherrie Martin said: “Madonna is a lovely lady. Very down to earth and very caring. She really loved Jessica when she met her.” Despite their concerns for Jessica, the Wilmots said they backed the singer’s planned adoption of David.
KATIE HAMPSON

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *