Orphan Michaela DePrince Becomes Ballerina, Pens Memoir [Video]

Michaela DePrince has been writing her memoirs since the age of four, but it’s only now that she’s sharing them with the public for the first in the form of her book, Taking Flight — which describes her journey from war-torn Sierra Leone in 1995 to a successful ballerina today.

It’s a miracle I’m even here. Everywhere you looked, you saw someone die.”

The details of DePrince’s youth are shocking. Michaela was subjected to graphic violence from an extremely young age, said The New York Times in its review.

When she was about 3, rebels killed her beloved father at the diamond mine where he worked; her mother died of disease and starvation soon after. Because of her precocious intelligence, as well as the skin condition vitiligo, her cruel uncle thought she was a bad-luck “devil child” and brought her to an orphanage. There she became No. 27, the least favored child among a pretty unfortunate crew.”

Below you can watch Michaela DePrince compete professionally.

[Image via YouTube]