Conquering all negativity, the woman with a rare skin disease finds true love
With the rise of social media, we’re all bombarded with images of seemingly perfect-looking people; it appears as though the world has become even more shallow in how people are judged.
When total strangers feel the need to criticize someone for their appearance on social media, the world can seem awfully cruel to those of us who don’t match the stereotyped “ideal” pattern.
Nobody is more aware of this than Karine de Souza. 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 years old has Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a condition that puts her at a high risk for developing 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.
She can get a sunburn that is terribly painful after only a few minutes in the sun. Because it was too risky for her to spend a lot of time outside her home as a child, she was frequently cut off from the outside world.
“I don’t feel anything when I expose myself to the light; it doesn’t happen immediately. The lesions do, however, later develop and require removal due to malignancy” 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.
However, she has to go through more than just a physical struggle. Karine frequently receives strange looks while walking down the street and has endured online and offline verbal abu$e.
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 chose to include the three kids from Karine’s former marriage, which naturally meant a lot to Karine.
She claims that “he came and he taught me that I could live a true love story.”
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, as per the Daily Mail.
Some suggestions implied that their romance wasn’t real, Karine was a “sugar mommy,” and that she must be incredibly wealthy.
Karine stated, “He caught people’s attention because he was a young man and pretty, and they didn’t believe that he was with me because he really liked me.”
After the couple got engaged, a photographer took some pictures of them and posted them online with the following caption:
“In a society where outward appearances are more important than inner feelings, they did not meet by accident; rather, a gathering of souls resulted in an encounter of acceptance, character, and love. Today, you are a source of motivation to a lot of people who lack faith in themselves, in life, and especially in love.
Every day, I appreciate you for being who you are. STOP whining about how you are what you are. Accept life and yourself with a HUG. Thank you very much for teaching me so much. You two are incredible. For so many individuals, you represent the lost hope. I appreciate the warm embrace as well as the wonderful day we shared. I carry your smile with me forever.”
His sincere remarks and the lovely pictures he took of Karine and Edmilson went viral, and thousands of people left messages of congratulations for the happy couple.
Karine wants people to know how important it is to be positive.
He advised, “Be happy, smile, because life only happens once.”
Karine and Edmlson were overjoyed when they gave birth to a daughter in 2023. Karine and her husband had been trying for a baby since 2020, and their daughter, Zaia, came after a long wait.
Karine has been through a lot, but she has found the happiness she deserves because of her positive attitude.
Her story is inspirational so help us inspire others in similar situations by sharing this story with your friends and family.
