Rejected for Her Looks, This Girl Finds Love and Becomes a Star Thanks to an Unexpected Twist
Life was tough for a baby girl born in 1995. After losing both her parents, she faced many challenges. Her time in an orphanage was awful, but everything changed when she was adopted four years later.
Michaela DePrince’s life was filled with hardship. She experienced pain and abuse most people can’t imagine. As a young girl, she felt hopeless and saw no reason to keep going.
Michaela had a skin condition called vitiligo, which caused white spots on her neck. People in her community insulted her and said no one would ever adopt her.
Her name was originally Mabinty Bangura. She was born during the civil war in Sierra Leone. Her father was killed, and her mother passed away from illness and starvation.
Michaela didn’t remember her parents’ faces or know what it felt like to be loved. By the age of three, she was left alone in an orphanage.
### She Was Called “Number 27” but Dreamed of Dancing
At the orphanage, Michaela was labeled the “Devil’s Child” and thought of herself as a monster. She explained that the kids were ranked—“Number one was the favorite child, and number 27 was the least favorite. I was number 27.”
She often went hungry and felt hopeless. One day, she saw a photo of a ballerina in a magazine. The ballerina looked happy and beautiful, and Michaela dreamed of being like her.
“It wasn’t just that she was a ballerina,” Michaela said. “She looked happy. I wanted to be happy. If dancing made her happy, I wanted to do it too.” That dream stayed with her.
When an American couple adopted Michaela in 1999, she immediately told them about her wish to dance. The couple, who had lost three of their children, welcomed her with open arms.
### She Found a Loving Home
Elaine DePrince, Michaela’s new mom, shared that she and her husband lost their children during the HIV/AIDS crisis. They lost one son at 15 and another at 11. Despite their grief, the couple wanted to give love to another child. When they heard Michaela’s story, they knew she was the one.
Elaine and her husband supported Michaela, taking her to dance classes and helping her build confidence. However, Michaela struggled to trust her new life at first.
Elaine remembered their first meeting. Michaela walked toward her on her toes, holding a magazine with a ballerina on the cover. From that moment, Elaine promised Michaela that she would become a dancer.
Though grateful, Michaela found it hard to believe in her new life. She admitted, “I used to sleep with the light on. I was scared that if I turned it off, I’d wake up back in the orphanage.”
### She Beat the Odds
Michaela eventually adjusted to her new family and started chasing her dream of becoming a ballerina. She worked hard and said, “The only way I could survive was to prove everybody wrong.”
Her journey wasn’t easy. She faced criticism for her skin color and worried about being mocked for her appearance. Her mom helped by calling her white skin spots “pixie dust,” which boosted Michaela’s confidence.
At just 17, Michaela became the youngest dancer at the Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City. The director, Ted Brandsen, admired her determination and talent.
Her hard work paid off, and by age 22, she was chosen by Beyoncé to perform in the singer’s music video for “Freedom” from the album *Lemonade*.
Michaela proved her doubters wrong and performed on stages around the world. Her story inspires others to keep dreaming, no matter their challenges.
### Another Child Finds Love
Not all parents can care for their children, and many kids end up in foster homes or orphanages. Like Michaela, a teenage boy named Randall needed a loving family after enduring abuse.
In Texas, Casey Douglas and her husband wanted to adopt a child. They learned about Randall in 2017 and knew he was the one. Two years later, the adoption was finalized.
Both Randall and Michaela are grateful for their adoptive families, who gave them love and showed them what it means to belong.
