When they go low, we go high.
These words, famously spoken by Michelle Obama earlier this year, epitomise the work carried out by anti-bullying campaigner Lizzie Velasquez.
The 27-year-old suffers from Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome, a rare medical condition that causes premature ageing, and has been the subject of cruel comments about her appearance for years.
Most recently, she has been the target of a nasty meme circulating on the internet. But fearless Velasquez isn’t one to go down without a fight.
Posting the meme on social media, she demonstrated perfectly how to respond in the face of bullies: standing up for yourself and rising above them.
“I’m writing this post not as someone who is a victim, but as someone who is using their voice,” she wrote.
For her, sharing memes is part of an online bullying culture.
“No matter what we look like or what size we are, at the end of the day we are all human,” she added, urging people to think of the person in the photo when spreading such hurtful memes. “I ask that you keep that in mind the next time you see a viral meme of a random stranger. At the time you might find it hilarious but the human in the photo is probably feeling the exact opposite.”
“Spread love not hurtful words via a screen.”
Well said! 🙌