Lizzie Velasquez was born with an extremely rare syndrome which very few people in the world have.
Due to her condition, she is unable to gain weight, ages prematurely, and is blind in one eye.
As a child, Lizzie was bullied for her looks from the very first day she began school. As a teenager, she was horrified to discover that a YouTube clip of her had been created in which she was called “the world’s ugliest girl”. The clip had several thousand comments, some even suggesting she should kill herself. Lizzie’s world “collapsed” after watching the painful video.
But she came about and decided to fight. She decided she would fight in the name of anyone and everyone that has ever been bullied and began campaigning near and far, according to the UK’s Daily Mail.
Lizzie later gave an acclaimed Ted Talk, addressing the issue of bullying. According to Lizzie, the conference “changed everything”.
“This is my purpose. This is what I’m meant to do for the rest of my life. I like to think that I’m not only telling my story, I’m telling everyone’s story,” she tells the Daily Mail.
The strength and courage that Lizzie has shown is just bewildering. Her story touched me deeply and brought tears to my eyes. It’s incredible how she defeated so many obstacles in her life yet remains head-strong and confident in herself.
You can watch her inspirational, moving TED talk here, and feel free to share this brave young woman’s story if you like it.
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