London, April 13 : Madonna is still trying her luck to adopt four-year-old Malawian orphan Chifundo "Mercy" James, despite a judge rejecting her application.

The 50-year-old had spent nearly two years preparing to adopt the tot as a sister to her adopted Malawian son David Banda, and her biological kids Lourdes and Rocco.

Her application was rejected due to a requirement that prospective parents be resident in the country for 18 to 24 months.

However, according to reports, the Queen of Pop is still keen on bringing Mercy to her New York home.

Her attorney is said to have lodged an appeal against the judge''s ruling though a date for the hearing was yet to be marked.

"Though I have been advised that I cannot publicly discuss the pending appeal regarding my desire to adopt Mercy, I do want to say how much I appreciate the level of support that I have received from the people of Malawi and my friends around the world," the BBC quoted Madonna as saying reportedly.

Meanwhile, the Nation on Sunday reported that the singer, in a response to an email sent by the paper, wanted to make certain that the little girl was brought up in "a loving family environment". (ANI)