Once-bullied woman to help others with her story
Print Edition
IN December 2013, she inspired millions with her TED Talk. Now Lizzie Velasquez, once called “the world’s ugliest woman,” hopes to reach an even-wider audience through an anti-bullying documentary about her story.
“I know what it is to be bullied and what is to be bullied online, and I want to be the protector of those who think it won’t get better,” said Velasquez, 25, who has a rare disease that makes it impossible for her to gain weight. She has never weighed more than 29 kilograms and is blind in one eye.
“The idea is that they see the documentary and realize that, yes, it is possible to overcome everything,” she said during an interview in Austin, Texas.
She’s raising money for the film, tentatively titled “The Lizzie Project,” through a Kickstarter campaign that has already collected over US$123,000 in donations. The campaign, whose trailer can be seen at TheLizzieProject.com, ends on May 31. The goal is to raise US$180,000.
Velasquez was born in Austin in 1989 with a syndrome so rare only two other people in the world are known to have it.
She became a celebrity on December 5, when her TED Talk in Austin (part of the worldwide event TEDxWomen) became a hit. In her speech, Velasquez explained that her life changed at age 17, when she saw herself on a YouTube video entitled “The world’s ugliest woman.” The video’s comments section featured comments such as, “Do the world a favor and put a gun to your head.”
“Instead of just taking shelter of my tears, I chose to be happy and realize this syndrome is not a problem but a blessing that allows me to improve myself and inspire other people,” said Velasquez.
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