Thanks to the rise of social media, we’re all bombarded with images of seemingly perfect-looking people; it seems as though the world has become even more shallow in how people are judged.
For those of us that don’t fit the stereotypical “perfect” mold, the world can seem very cruel, with complete strangers feeling it necessary to criticize someone based on their appearance on social media.
Karine de Souza knows this more than anyone. The Brazilian has spent her life covering her skin in SPF100 sunscreens – even when she’s inside her home – due to her rare skin condition.
The 33-year-old was diagnosed with Xeroderma Pigmentosum when she was three years old which means she is at high risk of skin cancer.
Her ”one-in-a-million” condition, which is incurable, means she is highly sensitive to UV rays as she lacks the ability to repair any damage the sun causes to her skin.
Just a few minutes in the sun can mean incredibly painful sunburn for her. Growing up, she was often isolated from the outside world because it was too dangerous for her to spend too much time outside her house.
“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 said.
Karine has had to endure 130 surgical procedures to remove lesions caused by the sun, including the removal of her lower lip and part of her nose.
Sadly, it is not only a physical battle she has to endure. Karine often gets stared at in the street and has been the victim of verbal abuse both within her community and online.
But despite her suffering, she remains upbeat and happy and has even found love.
She met her husband Edmilson through social media, who fell in love with her “story and her strength.” Edmilson has always stood by Karine’s side, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
He also decided to embrace Karine’s three children from her previous relationship, which of course, meant a lot to Karine.
”He came and he showed me that I could live a true love story”, she says.
But after posting photos of them together online, Karine was once again exposed to a whole host of offensive comments.
”We have already read many offensive comments calling me a monster, deformed, a zombie,” Karine said.
Other comments suggested that their relationship wasn’t genuine and that Karine was a ”sugar mommy,” and that she must be very rich.
”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.
A photographer who captured the couple after they got engaged posted a selection of the images online and wrote:
”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.”
His heartfelt words and beautiful images he captured of Karine and Edmilson went viral, and thousands of people commented, congratulating the couple.
Karine wants others to realize the importance of being positive.
”Be happy, smile, because life happens only once,” she said.
In 2023, Karine and Edmílson welcomed a baby girl into the world, and they couldn’t be happier! Their daughter, Zaia, was long awaited – Karine and her husband had been trying for a baby since 2020.
Karine has been through so much but thanks to her positive attitude she has found the happiness she deserves.
Her story is inspirational so help us inspire others in similar situations by sharing this story with your friends and family.
Tia Mowry shared a simple reason why she and her twin sister Tamera aren’t as close as they used to be, saying, “No hard feelings.”
Tia Mowry explained that when siblings grow up and start their own families, it’s normal for them to take on new roles and responsibilities in life. She mentioned this in an interview with People on Monday, after talking about their relationship earlier this month.
The “Sister, Sister” star recognized that Tamera has her own family, so it’s “normal” and “very natural” for them to focus on their own lives and families.
Tia Mowry said, “There’s a lot of love between us. We have a strong bond that will never go away.” She added that she and her sister have always been inspirational women, and that won’t change.
Tia, 46, emphasized that this situation is just a part of life. She explained, “People are starting their own families, and that’s okay.” She also mentioned, “There are no hard feelings.”
The star of “Tia Mowry: My Next Act” made news two weeks ago when she shared that she was having a hard time with “being alone” and not feeling “close” to Tamera during her divorce from Hardrict.
In a preview for her upcoming reality TV show, she said, “There are times when I wish my sister and I were still close and I could call her, but that’s just not where we are right now.”
After fans reacted strongly to her comments, the actress explained what she meant in an interview with Us Weekly.
Tia explained, “What I meant was that as we grow up, we start our own families, and their children need us. We take on new roles and responsibilities in our lives, and that’s what I was talking about.”
Tia, who is dealing with her divorce from Cory Hardrict, said she was finding it hard to handle this “transition” and wished her sister could be there to support her.
She added, “Sometimes you just want a hug and wish someone was as available as they used to be, but that’s not how life is.”
Tia said that no matter what people are saying, she and Tamera have a “beautiful connection” and love each other “very much.”
Tamera, who has kids Aden, 11, and Ariah, 9, with her husband Adam Housley, has not yet commented on her sister’s remarks.
The twin sisters became famous on the show “Sister, Sister,” which aired from 1994 to 1999. They also worked on several Disney shows and movies before moving into reality TV with “Tia & Tamera.”
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