Michaela’s story began with the deadly and deafening sounds of war. After losing both parents, this poor girl gets adopted by a woman who turns her life around. Almost three decades later, Michaela repaid her mother with a surprise that will leave you speechless.
She was born into a Muslim household in Sierra Leone on January 6, 1995. Her parents named her Mabinti Bangura. However, at the time of her birth, a civil war was present in the country. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before she lost both of her parents. Her dad was murdered in the war, whereas her mom died from fever and hunger at a very young age. She had already become an orphan. After her parents passed away, she moved in with her uncle.
However, the man saw her as a burden and gave her up for adoption. At the orphanage, she was treated badly by the social workers and given the number 27, a number meant for the least favorite child at the orphanage. The reason was her physical aspect. In fact, she had a rare skin condition called Vitiligo that caused discoloration on her neck and face area. Sadly, because she looked different from other kids, she faced a lot of bullying and prejudice.
The staff members at the orphanage called her a Devil’s Child. They paid no attention to her and didn’t feed her well. But that was not all; they also deemed her unattractive and unfit for adoption. Since the little girl had nowhere to run, she had to spend her childhood there in terrible conditions. Thankfully, she found solace in another black girl at the orphanage. Surprisingly, the girl was also named Mabinti and was given the number 26. The two Mabintis became best friends and enjoyed each other’s company despite the bullying from the other kids and adults. They loved playing, eating, and going to school together.
One day while sitting outside the orphanage, something truly remarkable happened. A gust of wind blew an old dance magazine right into Mabinti’s face. On the magazine cover was the picture of a fair-skinned ballerina who was standing on her toes in a pink tutu. The dancer looked so beautiful and happy. The picture caught her eyes, and she realized that taking that same path would make her happy. So, Mabinti decided to become a professional ballerina when she came of age. The young girl took the magazine cover and hid it under her underwear.
Now she had a dream to live for. But first, she had to deal with more suffering. Her favorite teacher was murdered by rebels, and the shelter she stayed in was bombed. As a result, she had to walk many miles to the next refugee camp. There she stayed with her friend and other children. Although she saw a lot of horrifying things, her suffering was about to end. In 1999, a woman named Elaine de Prince came to rescue her.
The woman, who lived in New Jersey, had always dreamed of adopting children from Africa. In fact, she was just 10 when she decided she was going to have a big family, one filled with adopted kids in need of love and care. Initially, she and her husband Charles wanted to just adopt the other Mabinti, number 26. But before she took a trip down to Sierra Leone to adopt a girl, something she never expected happened. One day while resting at home, she received a call from the adoption agency that left her confused. “I got a call from the adoption agency.
They asked me which of the Mabintis I wanted to adopt because there were two of them,” the woman explained. Upon this discovery, the civil rights activist was heartbroken. Without wasting much time, she made a huge decision and told the agency she would adopt both the Mabintis. She didn’t have a problem with a child who had spots on her body. Then Elaine called her husband, who was away on a business trip, and told him she’d be adopting a second girl. The man was surprised at first but gave his wife the go-ahead. Days went by, and it was finally time to bring the African girls home.
One weekend, Elaine traveled down to the orphanage in Sierra Leone. When she got there, she realized how doubtful Mabinti number 27 was about getting adopted. Seeing her for the first time almost brought tears to Elaine’s eyes. She looked so malnourished and unhappy, just standing in a corner with her arms folded. “I think she felt she was going to be rejected once again. I walked up to her and held her hands. Then I told her I was her new mother, and she began to cry.
She couldn’t believe someone was willing to adopt her,” she recalled. After signing all the necessary papers, Elaine returned with the two girls to the United States. However, she couldn’t have two daughters with the same name as it would make things difficult for everybody involved. So she renamed them Mia and Michaela. Mia is number 26, and Michaela is number 27. From the day Michaela got adopted, her life changed for the better. Sometimes she still felt the fear of rejection, but thankfully her foster parents gave her all the love and care she never had. “There was so much love right away. I had never been surrounded by people like that. I never had to worry about anything, and I got the best treatment from my adoptive parents,” she explained.
One evening after having dinner, Michaela showed her foster mom that same magazine cover which she treasured. Then she told her she wanted to have pointed shoes like the ones on the ballerina’s feet. Elaine was pleasantly surprised by her wish and promised her that someday she would be dancing too. Thankfully, she kept her word. A few weeks later, she signed up the girls for ballet lessons. Michaela took the lessons very seriously. After all, it had been her childhood dream to be a ballerina.
A few years went by, and she began adapting to her new life. Elaine was always there for her, dyeing and altering her costumes for hours on end so that they could fit her skin tone. Michaela got better with her dance lessons every day. However, she still had to deal with her insecurities about how she looked. Precisely, she was very worried about her skin condition. Nevertheless, she was determined to prove a point to everyone who doubted her. She couldn’t wait to have her first dance in front of a large audience.
Finally, the day of her very first show came. After dressing up, Michaela ran straight to her adoptive mom who was sitting in the audience. “Mom, can you see the spots on my body?” she asked, looking worried. Elaine smiled and told her girl she couldn’t really see them. She told her they looked just like pixie dust. Relieved by her mom’s words, she replied, “Oh great, now I can be a professional ballerina.” Thankfully, her show went very well that day.
Months passed, and she became more comfortable with her body. When she was 17, she became the youngest ballet dancer to perform at the Theater of Harlem in New York City. A year later, the girl from Sierra Leone was hired by the prestigious Dutch National Ballet. Although she was still a teenager, she was now able to take care of herself. As the years went by, Michaela began dancing as a soloist.
At 22, she became one of the top-ranked ballerinas in the company. She was delighted that her dream of being a professional ballerina had finally come true. However, it didn’t happen without a fight. She had to work hard to earn it, but her results were definitely worth all the time and pain. At this point, she was wanted by many top companies and professionals across the world. Michaela became so successful that she even appeared in Madonna’s and Beyonce’s music videos. She couldn’t believe how rich and influential she had become.
One cold evening, she sat down on a couch and reflected on how far she had come. It had taken her 27 years of her life to get here, and she realized all her dreams wouldn’t have been possible if not for Elaine. So, here is how the girl repaid her. Whenever she had free time on her hands, she took her out on expensive trips and bought her gifts. Sometimes they traveled to another city and spent weeks there. But that was not all she did. She also bought a beautiful car for her. Elaine couldn’t believe how well her girl treated her and was glad to have a daughter who clearly loved her very much and was grateful for her unwavering support.
Today, Michaela is an ambassador for War Child, an institution that seeks to improve the well-being of children living with armed conflict and violence. What do you think of Michaela’s story? Have you ever done something special to thank your parents for loving you? Tell us in the comments below.
