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Thursday, 26 October 2006

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Madonna: We saved David

Star says African orphan was fighting for his life

Madonna revealed last night that her 13-month-old adopted son was desperately ill when she first saw him.

Appearing via satellite on the Oprah Winfrey's US chat show, the 48-year old star explained that David would have been in danger without her intervention.

The little boy, who at two weeks old was placed in an orphanage in Malawi by his widowed father Yohane Banda, had survived TB and malaria but was seriously ill with pneumonia.

Madonna was told his mum and three siblings died of HIV, his dad was missing and no one from his extended family had visited him.

'So from my perspective, there was no one looking after his welfare,' she said.

She also revealed that she never expected the criticism which has surrounded David'a adoption and was disappointed with the media's treatment.

'I beg all of those people to go to Africa and see what I saw,' she implored. 'They'd all want to bring one of those children home with them and give them a better life.'