Madonna releases photo of Mercy to charm Malawi adoption judges

Madonna has stepped up her bid to adopt an orphaned toddler from Malawi with a PR campaign that the singer hopes will win over judges when she appeals the April 3 decision to block the adoption. The 50-year-old singer's charm offensive includes a sepia-tinted photograph of herself cradling three-year-old Chifundo ‘Mercy’ James in her arms. The photo (above) was sent to media outlets around the world on Monday.

Madonna has also written to a leading Malawian newspaper to argue her case, reiterating that she plans to appeal Judge Esme Chombo's ruling. "I want to provide Mercy with a home, a loving family environment and the best education and health care possible," she told the Nation On Sunday in an email interview.

In 2006 Madonna was able to fast-track her application to adopt another Malawian baby, David Banda, now aged three. But in the case of Mercy, Judge Chombo found that Madonna did not meet local standards of residency. Under Malawian law, prospective parents must live in the country for 18 to 24 months, and the judge was not prepared to bend the rules for a celebrity.

In her interview with the Nation, the pop queen also argues that if Mercy is allowed to leave Malawi, she will also be able to come back. "It's my hope that [Mercy], like David, will one day return to Malawi and help the people of their country."