Motivational speaker Lizzie Velasquez, who suffers from a rare medical condition,got bullied when her photo was used in a meme that depicted an unwanted person's agony of waiting for someone was posted on Facebook. But she is fighting back through Instagram and warning people about bullying through social media.
A meme is a social idea or a cultural symbol transmitted virally. Photos with catchy captions are usually used in memes and are then used to emphasize a point but usually to poke fun at someone or a targeted behavior.
Telegraph said a smiling photo of Velasquez was featured in the meme smiling with a text that says "Michael said he would meet me behind this tree for a bit of fun. He's running late, would someone please tag him and tell him I'm still waiting?" The whole idea is to make people laugh knowing that their friend is linked with this unusual-looking person.
"I'm writing this post not as someone who is a victim but as someone who is using their voice. Yes, it's very late at night as I type this but I do so as a reminder that the innocent people that are being put in these memes are probably up just as late scrolling through Facebook and feeling something that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. No matter what we look like or what size we are, at the end of the day we are all human," Velasquez posted in her Instagram.
Huffington Post said the 23-year old Velasquez is suffering from an extremely rare condition known as Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome which is differnet from progeria and other aging disorders. She is one of only three people worldwide with this condition which results to a large head, premature wrinkling and other signs of premature aging.
Mirror said Velasquez' post which cautioned social media users to think twice before treating someone unkindly was shared 125,000 times.
