She Was Called “Ugly” — So She Taught the World What Worth Means

Lizzie Velásquez was never born to be ordinary—she was born to be rare. Living with a rare genetic condition that prevents her body from storing fat, Lizzie has never weighed more than 29 kg, and she is blind in one eye. To survive, she must eat constantly, but it’s the cruelty she faced, not her condition, that would challenge her the most.

At 17, Lizzie stumbled upon a YouTube video titled “World’s Ugliest Woman.” It was about her. Millions of viewers mocked her appearance, reduced her to a face on a screen, and branded her with cruelty. The pain of this public humiliation felt unbearable. In a moment of despair, she turned to a teacher for guidance, asking what she should do.

The answer was simple but profound:
“Tell your story before they do.”

Instead of retreating, Lizzie chose to stand tall. She refused to hide from the world’s cruel gaze. Instead, she turned the hate that tried to silence her into purpose. Lizzie became a voice for the voiceless—an advocate against bullying, a speaker, an author, a TEDx speaker, and even addressed Congress, spreading her message of self-worth and resilience.

What was meant to break her only amplified her. The label of “ugly” was not a prison; it was the catalyst that propelled Lizzie to redefine value. She taught the world that worth isn’t decided by strangers. It’s claimed by courage, by standing up, by sharing your truth, and by loving yourself despite the judgments others cast.

 Worth is not decided by strangers.
 It’s claimed — by courage.

Lizzie Velásquez is a living testament to the power of turning adversity into a force for change. Her journey shows us that the labels people place on us are not the truth of who we are; the truth is in how we define ourselves and how we live out our worth.