The ballet world and the DePrince family are in mourning following the sudden and tragic deaths of celebrated ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince and her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, within a span of 24 hours. Michaela, aged 29, died unexpectedly on September 10th. The next day, Elaine passed away during a routine procedure preparing for surgery. Family members describe these back-to-back losses as a heart-wrenching coincidence.

Jess Volinski, a spokesperson for the DePrince family, expressed the compounded grief they are facing: "The last few days have been even more difficult than most people realize because the family has also been dealing with the death of Michaela’s adoptive mother Elaine DePrince."

Volinski clarified that Elaine was unaware of her daughter's passing at the time of her procedure and emphasized that the two deaths were entirely unrelated. "The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the loss of a fourth child," Volinski wrote. "What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful. Grieving two family members who died within a 24-hour period is tragic and devastating."

Michaela's passion for ballet began at a young age. In 2015, she shared with Glamour that her dream was sparked when a magazine cover featuring a ballerina en pointe fell near her in her orphanage in Sierra Leone. Upon being adopted by Elaine DePrince, Michaela showed her the magazine cover, and Elaine immediately enrolled her in dance classes once they settled in New Jersey.

Michaela grew up in a large family with 11 siblings, nine of whom were also adopted. Her dedication to ballet earned her a scholarship to the prestigious Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, a pre-professional training program at the American Ballet Theatre, during her teenage years.

Her career flourished as she danced with several esteemed companies, including the Joburg Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dutch National Ballet, and most recently, the Boston Ballet.

The DePrince family now faces the incomprehensible task of grieving the loss of two beloved members within such a short time frame. Their strength and faith are being put to the ultimate test as they navigate this period of profound sorrow.