With the rise of social media, we’re constantly seeing images of perfect-looking people, making the world seem even more focused on appearances.
For those who don’t fit this “perfect” mold, life can be tough, with strangers feeling the need to criticize others based on their looks.
Karine de Souza knows this all too well. The Brazilian woman has a rare skin condition that requires her to cover her skin in SPF100 sunscreen, even when she’s indoors.
At age three, Karine was diagnosed with Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a rare condition that makes her very sensitive to sunlight and puts her at high risk for skin cancer.
This condition, which has no cure, means her skin can’t repair damage from UV rays. Just a few minutes in the sun can lead to very painful sunburns for her. As a child, she had to stay inside most of the time because being outside was too dangerous.
She explains, “I don’t feel anything right away when I’m in the sun, but later on, I get painful lesions that need to be removed because of cancer.”
Karine has had 130 surgeries to remove lesions caused by the sun, including parts of her lower lip and nose.
But her challenges go beyond physical pain. She often gets stared at and has faced verbal abuse both in person and online.
Despite all this, Karine stays positive and happy. She even found love with her husband, Edmilson, whom she met through social media. Edmilson was drawn to her story and strength, and he’s always been by her side, knowing he wanted to spend 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, as per the Daily Mail.
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.
Brad Pitt Finds New Love After Heartbreaking Divorce At 60, And You Might Recognize Her
At one point in time, Brad Pitt might well have been considered the most eligible bachelor on Earth. But no more.
Fans have known for some time now about his romance with Ines de Ramon; the pair are said to have planned to celebrated his milestone 60th birthday with a low-key week.
According to PEOPLE, Pitt wasn’t of a mind to go overboard with the celebrations after ushering in his sixth decade on Monday. It surely says quite a bit about his commitment to De Ramon, then, that he wanted to spend his time with her.
Last month, a source is said to have spoken to PEOPLE and described De Ramon, ex-wife of actor Paul Wesley, as “Brad’s first proper relationship since the divorce” from Angelina Jolie.
Indeed, the Troy star is said to have started introducing the 32-year-old as his girlfriend.
“He introduces [Ines] as his girlfriend,” an insider PEOPLE. “It’s great to see him in a good place. Ines makes him very happy.”
It’s been a rocky road back to happiness for Pitt, whose marriage to Angelina Jolie ended in a tumultuous separation, the wounds of which still don’t appear to have fully healed.
Famously dubbed ‘Brangelina’ in the media, the A-listers fell in love on the set of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, embarking on a romance that stole headlines all over the world.
In 2016, however, Jolie filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. She also moved to request sole custody of the pairs six children, Maddox, Pax, Shiloh, Zahara, Vivienne and Knox.
On January 21, 2021, Angelina Jolie emailed Brad Pitt, an email which has since then made public. In the email, she mentions that she writes “with a heavy heart” to inform Pitt of her decision to sell Miraval, “a business that is centered around alcohol.” This is perhaps a reference to the now infamous plane event where an intoxicated Pitt “choked” one of their children and then “struck another in the face” before he poured alcohol on her and the kids.
As recently as October did Brad find his name in the headlines for a less than savory reason, after an old Instagram story surfaced wherein his adopted son Pax had labeled him a “f****ing awful human being”.
Pax, who was 16 at the time, expressed his displeasure with his father and warned him “the truth will come to light someday.”
“You time and time and again prove yourself to be a terrible and despicable person,” Pax wrote over an image of his father accepting the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
“You have no consideration or empathy toward your four youngest children who tremble in fear when in your presence.
“You will never understand the damage you have done to my family because you’re incapable of doing so.
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