AMY Winehouse was in the middle of adopting a poor 10-year-old girl when she died.
The troubled soul singer had begun the process of becoming a mum to 10-year-old Dannika Augustine, whom Amy Winehouse met on the Caribbean island country Saint Lucia, Mirror in the UK reported.
Winehouse had booked her ticket to visit the schoolgirl next week and the child’s grandmother revealed the singer had already hired lawyers for the adoption.Amy Winehouse was found dead inside her London home on July 24. She was 27. Her funeral was held on July 27. The cause of Winehouse's death is still to be determined.
Dannika is living in poverty with her single mum, who was struggling to feed her, when Winehouse took her under her wing during one of her many stays on the island over the last two years.
“Amy was already my mother. I would call her mum and she would call me her daughter. She took care of me and we had fun together. I loved her and she loved me," Dannika told the Mirror.
“She was the most amazing person and I was looking forward to living with her here or in London. I cannot believe she is gone. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
Winehouse met Dannika through the girl’s grandmother, Marjorie Lambert, 57, who runs a beach bar, in 2009.
“Amy loved Dannika with all her heart. I don’t know why Amy took to Dannika above all the other children on the island, but from the moment they met they were inseparable. They would spend all day playing, horse-riding and walking up and down the beach hand-in-hand," Ms Lambert said.
“Amy used to beg me: ‘I want to adopt Dannika. I want to take her to England.’
“Amy wanted to have a child so bad. If she had not died, there is no doubt she would be here in St Lucia completing the adoption process. There is no way she would have done what she did to herself if Dannika was with her.”
She said Dannika’s mother, Nadia Germaine, 31, was willing to give her daughter up for adoption because she could not find a job and was struggling to bring up her family. She and Dannika’s father split soon after the child was born, but he was also consulted about the adoption.
The troubled soul singer had begun the process of becoming a mum to 10-year-old Dannika Augustine, whom Amy Winehouse met on the Caribbean island country Saint Lucia, Mirror in the UK reported.
Winehouse had booked her ticket to visit the schoolgirl next week and the child’s grandmother revealed the singer had already hired lawyers for the adoption.Amy Winehouse was found dead inside her London home on July 24. She was 27. Her funeral was held on July 27. The cause of Winehouse's death is still to be determined.
Dannika is living in poverty with her single mum, who was struggling to feed her, when Winehouse took her under her wing during one of her many stays on the island over the last two years.
“Amy was already my mother. I would call her mum and she would call me her daughter. She took care of me and we had fun together. I loved her and she loved me," Dannika told the Mirror.
“She was the most amazing person and I was looking forward to living with her here or in London. I cannot believe she is gone. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me.”
Winehouse met Dannika through the girl’s grandmother, Marjorie Lambert, 57, who runs a beach bar, in 2009.
“Amy loved Dannika with all her heart. I don’t know why Amy took to Dannika above all the other children on the island, but from the moment they met they were inseparable. They would spend all day playing, horse-riding and walking up and down the beach hand-in-hand," Ms Lambert said.
“Amy used to beg me: ‘I want to adopt Dannika. I want to take her to England.’
“Amy wanted to have a child so bad. If she had not died, there is no doubt she would be here in St Lucia completing the adoption process. There is no way she would have done what she did to herself if Dannika was with her.”
She said Dannika’s mother, Nadia Germaine, 31, was willing to give her daughter up for adoption because she could not find a job and was struggling to bring up her family. She and Dannika’s father split soon after the child was born, but he was also consulted about the adoption.
Jobless Vic Augustine, 35, who lives in Germany, said: “Amy called me from my mother’s mobile phone. She said: ‘Hello, Marjorie’s lovely son. I wanted to talk to you because I feel like you are my brother. Marjorie has become like a mother to me.’ Then she said: ‘I love Dannika so much. She is the most amazing girl.’
“I thanked Amy for taking care of my daughter, and she said: ‘Dannika is taking care of me. I couldn’t live without her.’ Then she said: ‘I would like your permission to adopt Dannika.’
“Obviously it was difficult for me, because living in Germany, I miss Dannika very much. But my mother had told me about Amy and I knew she could give my daughter a wonderful life. I said if my mum thought it was a good idea, then it was OK with me. I also spoke to Dannika’s mother and she said she would agree to it.
“Amy phoned me two more times over the next month. She was serious about it. When we heard she died we were so shocked, and poor Dannika is so upset. This is very difficult for her.”
Ms Lambert runs a bar next to the Cotton Bay Village Resort where Winehouse lived for much of the past three years in a $3500-a-night villa. She last spoke to her on the phone weeks ago, when Winehouse was making plans to return to Saint Lucia.
“Amy sounded weak and down. She asked how I was and said: ‘Tell everybody I will be back in St Lucia soon.’
“I was expecting her here next week. I couldn’t believe it when my friend in London told me she had died."
“I thanked Amy for taking care of my daughter, and she said: ‘Dannika is taking care of me. I couldn’t live without her.’ Then she said: ‘I would like your permission to adopt Dannika.’
“Obviously it was difficult for me, because living in Germany, I miss Dannika very much. But my mother had told me about Amy and I knew she could give my daughter a wonderful life. I said if my mum thought it was a good idea, then it was OK with me. I also spoke to Dannika’s mother and she said she would agree to it.
“Amy phoned me two more times over the next month. She was serious about it. When we heard she died we were so shocked, and poor Dannika is so upset. This is very difficult for her.”
Ms Lambert runs a bar next to the Cotton Bay Village Resort where Winehouse lived for much of the past three years in a $3500-a-night villa. She last spoke to her on the phone weeks ago, when Winehouse was making plans to return to Saint Lucia.
“Amy sounded weak and down. She asked how I was and said: ‘Tell everybody I will be back in St Lucia soon.’
“I was expecting her here next week. I couldn’t believe it when my friend in London told me she had died."
