After being diagnosed with a rare skin condition as a child, receiving mean comments regarding her looks became part of her routine for Karine de Sousa. She constantly got bullied for her unique appearance due to her skin condition.
The 33-year-old woman from Brazil was only three when the doctors told her parents she had Xeroderma Pigmentosum, which made her skin super sensitive to ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun or any other source. She had to protect her skin from sunlight to avoid sun damage.
De Sousa’s condition resulted in skin cancer and lesions on her skin that needed to be removed through surgery. Consequently, the woman often went under the knife and has since undergone 219 surgeries.
While facing difficulties because of her rare condition, the woman never felt hopeless because she always had her husband, Edmilson, by her side. He supported her through thick and thin and loved her a lot.
During one of her visits to the hospital, de Sousa learned that she had two nodes on her lungs that weren’t malignant but needed to be removed through surgery. Around the same time, she developed painful lesions on her back that also required surgery. As a result, the doctors treated her back before scheduling a lung surgery.
At that point, the woman learned she was pregnant with her baby girl. She and her husband were delighted to know they would soon become parents, but people online took this as an opportunity to bully de Sousa.People believed the woman shouldn’t have children because of her rare condition, but the doctors told her the chances of her baby having the disease were under one percent. Meanwhile, people also said her children would be scared to see her and that she was “irresponsible” because she decided to have a child.
Moreover, some people told de Sousa she wasn’t meant to have children, while others said she wasn’t meant to be in this world. People ruthlessly posted comments regarding her looks, saying she shouldn’t have children.
How Did the Woman Respond to Her Critics?
Receiving hate online wasn’t the only thing de Sousa endured. She also felt people’s gazes lock on her whenever she stepped out publicly with her husband. She assumed some people looked at her out of curiosity, while other stares reeked of discrimination.
However, the woman did not let people’s mean comments or suspicious stares bring her down. She chose to ignore people’s mean remarks instead of thinking about them because she believed it showed how problematic they were. She said:
“The judgment is a reflection on themselves, not me.”
De Sousa added that people should know other people’s stories before judging them. She believed people needed to be more empathetic instead of bullying others online for no reason.Despite receiving mean comments, de Sousa did not stop herself from achieving her dream. She always wanted to have a child with her husband, and giving birth to her daughter, Zaya, delighted her. She believed her daughter was “gorgeous” and felt grateful to God for having her little one in her life.
While de Sousa was pregnant with Zaya, Edmilson was worried about her wife’s and baby’s health. Despite knowing how low the chances of his child inheriting the disease from de Sousa were, he still worried the child might be affected by the condition.Ever since the little girl came into this world, Edmilson and de Sousa’s lives have revolved around her. They enjoy holding her, caring for her, and being around her.
How Did She Meet Her Husband?
The woman believed her husband was “a dream come true” because of their loving relationship. She had been bullied for her looks all her life, which made her believe she would never find a life partner. It wasn’t until she met Edmilson online that she realized what love felt like.
Instead of bullying de Sousa, Edmilson was attracted to her resilience upon learning about her story. Soon after meeting online, the couple began dating but received criticism from people regarding their relationship.
While some people called de Sousa a “monster,” others said Edmilson was dating her for money. Despite receiving demeaning remarks, Edmilson supported de Sousa and decided to tie the knot with her.Besides marrying her, Edmilson also welcomed her three children into his life. He proved to be the perfect partner for de Sousa and a loving father to their kids.