It appears that the world has become even more superficial in its judgment of people due to the proliferation of social media and its constant barrage of photographs of allegedly perfect-looking individuals.
Strangers' comments on social media about a person's physical appearance can make the world seem quite harsh, especially for those of us who don't fit the stereotyped "perfect" mold.
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No one knows this better than Karine de Souza. The Brazilian woman has spent her entire life protecting herself from the sun with SPF100 sunscreens, even while she is at home.
The 33-year-old has a high chance of developing skin cancer due to her diagnosis of Xeroderma Pigmentosum at the age of three. Her "one-in-a-million" condition makes her very photosensitive, and even a short time in the sun might cause a terrible sunburn. As a child, it was too risky for her to spend much time outside of the house, so she spent much of her time indoors.
"When I expose myself to the sun, it doesn't happen in the moment; I don't feel anything. However, in the future, the lesions appear and need to be removed because of cancer," she says.
Karine lost her lower lip and a chunk of her nose to sun damage, and she has undergone 130 other surgeries to remove lesions.
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Regrettably, she faces more than just physical challenges. Karine is frequently the target of verbal harassment and abuse from members of her local community and online.
Nonetheless, she has found happiness and love despite her hardships. Edmilson, the man she would later marry, found her on Facebook and was instantly smitten by her "story and her strength." He has never left Karine's side and has always known that she was the one he would spend the rest of his life with. The fact that he accepted Karine's three children from a prior relationship was a huge deal for her.
"He came, and he showed me that I could live a true love story," she says.
However, once Karine posted images of them together online, she was subjected to yet more hateful remarks.
"We have already read many offensive comments calling me a monster, deformed, a zombie," Karine said, as per the Daily Mail.
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Several commenters even claimed Karine was a "sugar mommy" because of her wealth, implying that their relationship wasn't genuine.
"Because he's a young man and handsome, that caught people's attention, and they didn't believe that he was with me because he really liked me," Karine said.
After the couple got engaged, the photographer took some photos and uploaded them online with the caption:
"In a world where appearance matters more than feelings, they met not by chance, but by a gathering of souls, an encounter of acceptance and character, and love emerged when their souls met, and today you are the inspiration to so many people who do not believe in themselves, in life, and especially in love.
THANK YOU every day for being who you are. STOP complaining for being like you are. HUG LIFE, and accept yourself. Much gratitude for teaching me so much. You guys are AMAZING. You are the missing hope in so many people. Thank you for the big hug and for the wonderful day we experienced together. I carry your smile with me forever."
Many people reacted, praising Karine and Edmilson for the stunning photos he took of them. Karine hopes that people would learn from her example and embrace optimism.
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”Be happy, smile, because life happens only once,” she said.
In an interview, her husband said: "When I saw her post, I fell in love with her life story, her strength, and for her not minding the prejudice of the people!" What he loves about her is how she handles the trolls, by not giving a single fleck! (you know what I mean) That's the perfect response to the haters!
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Karine and Edmilson were overjoyed with the birth of their daughter in 2023. Karine and her husband had been trying to have a child since 2020, so the birth of their daughter Zaia came as a welcome surprise.
Karine has gone through a lot, but her optimistic outlook has helped her finally find the success and fulfillment she deserves.