It appears that the world has gotten even more superficial in its judgment of people as a result of the proliferation of social media and its constant barrage of photographs of allegedly perfect-looking people.
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.
No one is more in-the-know about this 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.
Because she cannot recover from the sun’s harmful effects, her “one-in-a-million” condition makes her very photosensitive.
For her, even a short time in the sun might cause a terrible sunburn. It was too risky for her to spend much time outside of the house when she was a child, so she spent much of her time inside.
“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.
Regrettably, she has more than just a physical challenge. 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.
Nevertheless, 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.
Several commenters even claimed Karine was a “sugar mommy” because of her wealth, implying that their relationship wasn’t real.
”Because of the fact he’s a young man and pretty, 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 the feeling, 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 of people reacted, praising Karine and Edmilson on the stunning photos he took of them.
Karine hopes that people would learn from her example and embrace optimism.
”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 with 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!
Karine and Edmlson 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.