Hi I'm Lizzie Stop Staring and Start Learning: World Ugliest Woman Speaks

 

 Miss Velasquez, from Austin, Texas, was born without adipose tissue - meaning she has no body fat and, despite eating up to 60 small meals a day, remains at a delicate 4.4stone (58lbs). Miss Velasquez may have a form of Neonatal Progeroid Syndrome (NPS), which causes accelerated ageing, fat loss from the face and body, and tissue degeneration. People with PRS often have triangular and prematurely aged faces with a pointy nose. 

The rare condition still baffles doctors and is thought to affect just two other people worldwide. 

Miss Velazquez has now written a second book about her struggle to be accepted and hopes it will help others in a similar position. 

When asked how she deals with being constantly stared at in the street Miss Velasquez said: 'I'm starting to want to go up to these people and introduce myself or give them my card and say, "Hi, I'm Lizzie - maybe you should stop staring and start learning". View More Photo

Miss Velasquez also revealed she does not have any desire to look like a beautiful celebrity.
She said: 'I feel I'm really glad I don't look like the celebrities out there who are beautiful, because there are a lot of stereotypes attached to that.

'People think "she's so pretty, she must be really dumb". Since I don't look like that it's better because people can get to know the real me.'

Miss Velasquez was born four weeks prematurely weighing just 2lb 10oz. Doctors found there was minimal amniotic fluid protecting her in the womb.

'They told us they had no idea how she could have survived,' Miss Velasquez's mother Rita, 45, a church secretary, said.
'We had to buy dolls' clothes from the toy store because baby clothes were too big.' Doctors could not make a diagnosis so they prepared Miss Velasquez's parents for the worst. I Love her courage... There is a lesson to learn from this.. Thanks Lizzie

Support: Miss Velasquez with her supportive family, mother Rita, father Lupe, brother Chris and sister Marima. No one else in her family has the syndrome