Mercy James` father resurfaces, wants to support the child

Los Angeles, April 07: The father of Mercy James, the four-year-old Malawian girl, whom pop star Madonna is trying to adopt, has come forward to support the child. James Kambewa, a security guard has come forward to claim Mercy as his own child, saying that he didn`t know his daughter was alive until he saw her in news coverage of the Madonna`s adoption saga.

He said that he was under the impression that Mercy`s mother, 15-year-old Mwandida Maunde had died in child birth and assumed their baby was dead too, People magazine online reported. "Her parents were furious that I had messed up their daughter. They caused hell for me so I left town," Kambewa said. "Now that I know she is alive I am willing to support her," he added. The 50-year-old pop superstar, who was reportedly "heartbroken" after her adoption plea was turned down by a Malawian court, has filed an appeal in Malawi`s Supreme Court and has told her lawyer to do whatever it takes to help her adopt the young girl. Madonna had first spotted the child in an orphanage when she visited the African country to adopt David Banda. Meanwhile, the extended family of Mercy has slammed the child`s father claims. Mercy`s uncle, Peter Baneti, who signed adoption papers giving Madonna rights to become child`s guardian, said, "Where was he all this time? He wasn`t there when his girlfriend was pregnant." He didn`t even attend her funeral when she died eight days after giving birth to Mercy. We don`t think he even knew she had a baby," he added. Bureau Report