Meet the woman cruelly dubbed 'world's most ugliest'

zainab quadri

October 12, 2015 9:36 AM

Lizzie Velasquez was born with a rare disease that makes her blind in one eye and prevents her from gaining weight.

Lizzie Velasquez

Lizzie Velasquez was born in Austin, Texas, with neonatal progeroid syndrome, a rare genetic disease that affects her heart, eyes and bones, and prevents her from gaining weight.

The 26-year old woman life changed for ever after she stumbled across a YouTube video labelled 'the world's ugliest woman.'

Lizzie, who was just 17 at the time, was horrified to find that the girl in the clip was her.

The vicious footage was watched four million times online, with many leaving disgusting comments about Lizzie, including suggestions that she should have been killed at birth.

But inspirational Lizzie has managed to turn the horrific comments into something positive.

She told Fox News: "There were thousands and thousands of awful comments, all along the lines of: the world would be a better place if I weren’t in it.

"Each comment I read I felt like someone was physically putting their fist through the screen and punching me.

"I always knew I wanted to show those people that they weren’t going to define me.

"I didn’t want the definition of me that they were creating to become my truth."

Lizzie has now has released a documentary to inspire others, 'A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez story'.

She also travels the world helping troubled youngsters.

Lizzie said she makes others who have been bullied for the way they look feel able to seek help, or stand up to the bullies.

However, the cause of her condition is still unknown, and only two other people in the world are known to have it.

Lizzie's disease is similar to many other conditions, especially progeria.

However, her condition is not terminal. Involved medical researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center have expressed the opinion that it may be a form of neonatal progeroid syndrome, which at least has spared her healthy bones, organs, and teeth.

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