'Unimaginably painful': Ballerina Michaela DePrince, who died 1 day before mom, remembered

As the ballet community and family members continue to reel over the death of famed ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince , a devastating twist has emerged.

DePrince's mother, Elaine DePrince, died less than 24 hours after her 29-year-old daughter's death in what loved ones are saying is a tragic and unrelated coincidence.

On Friday, the DePrince family confirmed Michaela's sudden death, which happened Tuesday. Then over the weekend they followed up with a post that Elaine passed away "during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery" on Wednesday.

"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," DePrince family spokesperson Jess Volinski wrote on Saturday.

OFFICIAL FAMILY STATEMENT UPDATE 9/14/24:Michaela DePrince Elaine DePrinceThank you to everyone for your outpouring...

Posted by Jess Volinski on Saturday, September 14, 2024

Elaine DePrince did not know about her daughter's death "at the time of her procedure" and the two deaths are "completely unrelated," Volinski wrote.

"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," Volinksi 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."

'An unforgettable inspiration,' DePrince family says

Michaela Mabinty DePrince was called to ballet at a young age, telling Glamour in 2015 that a magazine cover featuring a ballerina en pointe landed on her face while she was outside her orphanage in Sierra Leone.

The cover was the first thing she handed to her adoptive mother, Elaine DePrince, who put her in her dance classes as soon as they got settled in New Jersey. Michaela DePrince grew up alongside 11 siblings, nine of whom were adopted, according to Glamour.

Michaela DePrince won a scholarship to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, a pre-professional ballet training program at the American Ballet Theatre when she was a teenager, Glamour reported. And the rest was history.

She went on to dance with a number of professional ballet companies, including the Joburg Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dutch National Ballet and most recently the Boston Ballet. USA TODAY reported. Michaela DePrince went on to "achieve her dreams and so much more," her family wrote.

Professional ballet accomplishments aside, Michaela DePrince became an icon outside of the ballet community. She starred in the 2011 documentary "First Position," booked a guest performer role on "Dancing with the Stars," appeared in Beyoncé's "Freedom" music video in 2016, became the focal point of a biopic directed by Madonna , and wrote two books: "Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina" and "Ballerina Dreams."

She "touched so many lives across the world, including ours," according to a statement from the DePrince family. "She was an unforgettable inspiration to everyone who knew her or heard her story."

"From her early life in war-torn Africa, to stages and screens across the world, she achieved her dreams and so much more," they said. "Her passion and impact on the dance world, especially in inspiring young Black dancers to pursue their dreams, has been tremendous. We will miss her and her gorgeous smile forever and we know you will, too."

Tributes pour in after ballerina Michaela DePrince's 'sudden' death

Tributes have poured in from all corners of the world following the announcement of the young ballerina's passing.

A number of women, dance companies and those fortunate to have crossed paths with the ballet superstar or her work are all devastated by the loss, using social media as a way to pay respect and honor her memory.

While funeral and burial services held for Michaela DePrince will be private, the DePrince family has asked the public to consider making a donation to War Child , an organization that she worked with closely, in lieu of flowers, USA TODAY reported.

"This work meant the world to her, and your donations will directly help other children who grew up in an environment of armed conflict," according to a Friday post by the DePrince family.

Some of the online posts dedicated to Michaela DePrince in the wake of her passing have been compiled below.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Unimaginably painful': Ballerina Michaela DePrince, who died 1 day before mom, remembered