Elton 'wants to adopt baby orphan'

Elton 'wants to adopt baby orphan'

(UKPA) – 19 hours ago

Singer Sir Elton John has said he wants to adopt a 14-month-old boy from an orphanage in Ukraine who has "stolen his heart".

Sir Elton, 62, was visiting the country with his Aids foundation and during his visit he performed 'Circle of Life' for the children, some there because their parents had died of Aids.

At a press conference later he and partner David Furnish, 46, were asked whether they thought of adopting and Sir Elton announced he would like to adopt one of the children, Lev.

He said: "David and I have always talked about adoption, David always wanted to adopt a child and I always said 'no' because I am 62 and I think because of the travelling I do and the life I have, maybe it wouldn't be fair for the child.

"But having seen Lev, I would love to adopt him. I don't know how we do that but he has stolen my heart. And he has stolen David's heart and it would be wonderful if we can have a home. I've changed my mind."

The singer added that the death of his long-term keyboardist, Guy Babylon, had also helped change his mind.

"Last week I lost one of my best friends, my keyboard player died of a heart attack at 52. It broke my heart because he was such a genius and so young and has two wonderful children. What better opportunity to replace someone I lost than to replace him with someone I can give a future to.

"I don't know what the procedure is to adopt a boy from the Ukraine. I don't think that I can because England has a treaty with the Ukraine but David is Canadian so we might be able to work through something like that."

Ukraine has the fastest rising HIV rates in Europe. Two years ago the singer gave a free concert on the main square in Kiev attended by tens of thousands people to raise awareness of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and Aids.

Sir Elton's Aids Foundation collaborates with the Ukrainian Anti-Aids Foundation of Olena Franchuk, daughter of former President Leonid Kuchma.

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