They called her the ugliest woman in the world when she posted videos on YouTube, but Lizzie Velasquez soldiered on. Velasquez suffers from a condition called neonatal progeroid syndrome, which affects her heart, eyes, and bones. It also prevents Lizzie from gaining weight.
When Lizzie was 17, she faced an onslaught of cyber-bullying after she posted videos of her struggle online. Comments ranged from strangers asking, “Why did your parents keep you?” to even more cruel responses, like, “Kill it with fire.”
Despite the bullying, Lizzie proved to those strangers that she has a heart of gold. Now 26 and weighing just 63 pounds, the so-called “ugliest woman in the world” stands strong as an anti-bullying activist. A documentary on her life and work, “A Brave Heart,” premiered earlier this year and she also partnered with Tumblr on a campaign to promote positivity in online communities.
Lizzie explained to USA Today that, when she was little, she had no idea she was different from the other kids. It wasn’t until kindergarten when other children were afraid of her that she asked her parents what was so different. They responded by telling her, “There is nothing wrong with you, you are just smaller than the other kids. You are beautiful and smart and can accomplish anything.”
Backed by her parents unconditional love, Lizzie Velasquez set out to change the world. She participated in several activities in high school and didn’t think much of her condition and how people thought of her until she was browsing YouTube and found a video of herself.
Lizzie told Today that she read every single comment, including one that called her the ugliest woman in the world. Of the thousands of comments on her video, not one defended her. She wrote that, while the comments felt like a punch in the face, she “didn’t want to retaliate.”
Instead, Lizzie wanted to prove the bullies wrong. She went to college, became a motivational speaker, and wrote a book standing up to bullying. Lizzie write that, while she appears to have an incredible life, she still has her bad days. She notes,”I’m still processing that I have a final diagnosis on my health.” She added that her weak immune system forces her to take a break from her busy schedule. Velasquez wrote, “The doctors say I have to take care of myself first to help others.”
So that’s what she does. Lizzie added, “I always tell people I allow myself sad days to be alone and close the blinds and listen to sad music like Adele and cry, eat junk food and have a pity party.” However, “The sun comes out the next day [and] I have the power to go on.”
Lizzie Velasquez proves that we can go through trials in life and still be smiling and happy. Despite strangers calling her the ugliest woman in the world, the 26-year-old proves her true beauty lies within her heart of gold.
