Lizzie Velásquez has never quite looked like anyone else. When she was born, she only weighed 2 pounds 11 ounces, and she was quickly diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which stops her from gaining weight or accumulating fat, as well as aging her body faster than everyone else. It also rendered her blind in one eye.
Her looks caused her to start getting bullied when she was younger as well, and some mean children called her looks “disgusting.”
About her realizing she was different, she explained to the Daily Mail – ““At the time, I thought everyone looked like me. I didn’t recognize or tell that they didn’t look like me.”
The worst of the bullying came to her through the internet when she was 16 however. Someone on Youtube had created a video about her, and called her “the world’s ugliest woman.” She spiraled into a depression when she saw the video and read all of the comments that people were writing below.
Despite all of the negativity and the sadness she had felt, she decided to be better than all of those writing the comments and make something of herself and prove everyone wrong.
She has become a successful businesswoman and lectures around the world about her disease – she now has a new look, one of confidence. She also has an active following on Youtube and uses it to fight bullying.
“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 explained further about her passion and career.
While bullying can easily pull anyone down, her perseverance and determination are truly remarkable! We can all learn a lot from her ability to continue fighting for her happiness and she is living proof that we can accomplish whatever we truly set our minds on.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
