Woman speaks out after discovering her photo being used for a cruel meme

A woman whose photo was used in a cruel meme mocking her appearance has received a flood of support online.

Motivational speaker Lizzie Velasquez was born with a rare condition that means her body can’t store fat.

She posted the meme on Instagram, writing:

I've seen a ton of memes like this all over Facebook recently. 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. 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.

Marfan syndrome, the condition Velasquez has, affects the body’s connective tissues, abd can also cause heart defects. It affects one in 3,000 people.

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Since her post, Velasquez has celebrated the news that some of the accounts sharing the meme have been closed.

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