In 2008, whilst looking for a music video, Lizzie Velasquez stumbled across a YouTube video titled 'World's Ugliest Woman'. The subject? Herself.
The video had amassed over 4 million views and thousands of horrendous comments from trolls, attacking her for only one reason: the way she looks. Lizzie was born with a rare genetic condition called progeria, which causes the appearance of ageing, slow growth and the inability to gain weight.
Now, in support of October being #BullyingPreventionMonth, Lizzie has created the below YouTube video, 'I'm With Lizzie' in which she campaigns, along with the support of multiple celebrities, to put pressure on the US to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act, because the country still has no federal anti-bullying bill.
Lizzie's documentary, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story was released in the US on 25th September, and in an interview with Fox, Lizzie had some poignant words: 'I didn't want the definition of me that they were creating to become my truth. I wanted to make my own truth.' Before going on to talk about how the horrendous comments on the original video made her feel, as well as crediting her strong support network. There's no doubt about it: Lizzie V is a total inspiration.
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Follow Chemmie on Twitter @chemsquier
Picture: Daniel Zuchnik
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.