Michaela DePrince was born in 1995 and right from then, her life was filled with suffering; she was ruthlessly given to an orphanage by her own uncle. There, she was called a cursed child for her looks and had to fight for food every day. But soon, the little girl’s life experienced a stroke of luck. An American couple, who had lost 3 kids and was looking for someone to fill the huge void in their hearts, noticed Michaela and adopted the poor girl. Here, Michaela’s story in a loving family began, but she had no idea yet that she would have to face a lot of insults because of her appearance on the way to fulfilling her dream.
Most times, all a person needs in order to thrive is a little TLC. Without that, we may feel vulnerable and never gather the courage to shine, just like one little girl named Michaela DePrince, born Mabinty Bangura on January 6, 1995, who grew up in an orphanage and was dubbed a “devil’s child” because of her vitiligo.
This girl’s father was killed during the Sierra Leone’s civil war and her mother died of starvation. Not knowing what to do with her, Michaela’s uncle placed her at an orphanage when she was just three years old. There, children were ranked from 1 to 27, with number 1 being the favorite child. Michaela was ranked 27. Everyone believed that she was possessed by an evil entry because of the white spots on her skin. Speaking of those times, Michaela recalled: “They thought of me as a devil’s child. They told me every day how I wasn’t going to get adopted because nobody would want a devil’s child.”
