Elton John forgets his promise to Ukrainian orphan

London: Pop superstar Elton John's muchpublicised promise to help a young Ukrainian orphan is stillunfulfilled, his relatives have claimed.

Lev, a 14-month-old boy, had bonded with the CandleIn The Wind hitmaker and his partner David Furnish duringtheir visit to Ukraine and the gay couple had tried to adopthim.

But after their failure to do so they had pledged tofind the child a home in his native country and send regularfinancial help. But Lev's grandmother, Yulia Ageyeva, 57,claims that the singer has forgotten his promise, reportedDaily Mail online.

While the couple have become parents to a baby boyZachary, who was born through a surrogate mother, Lev is stillliving in an orphanage in a bleak industrial town on theRussian border.

"I have not given up hope that Elton will fulfil hispromise to help Lev and Artyom, but now he has his newAmerican baby I doubt we will ever hear from him," she said.

"I don't know his reasons for forgetting. Maybe hemade a big fuss over Lev for public relations, to show theworld he was caring," she added.

Ukranian authorities refused Elton's bid to adoptsaying that he was gay and at 63, too old to become a parent.

Lev was not officially ready for adoption as hisalcoholic mother had not waived her parental rights. Shehowever died last August.

Ageyeva who lives with her 61-year-old husband in agraffiti-scrawled, Soviet-built block in Mariupol has nowapplied to adopt her grandson. The courts will decide on theadoption this month.

Both the grandparents are retired factory workerssurviving on meager state pensions.