Everyone’s so used to hearing about stories that yield victims. “Her story has to do with survival and getting to the other side of a really, really pervasive issue bullying. “People are hungry for a hero,” Bordo said. “A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story” is not only a testament to Velasquez’s survival but also to her kindness and genuine desire to help others in her situation. Her words of inspiration posted on her YouTube channel have touched people around the world. Now active in anti-bullying campaigns and pushing for stronger federal legislation against bullying, Velasquez has come out on top. It was then that Velasquez caught the eye of director Sara Bordo, who pitched the idea of turning Velasquez’s story into a documentary. After a YouTube video of her powerful talk at a regional TEDx went viral - the current view count is over 7 million - Velasquez became immediately in demand around the world and soon embarked on an international speaking tour. Instead of taking the cyberbullying and hateful comments in stride, however, Velasquez decided to get active by creating her own videos about a variety of topics, including makeup tips, words of inspiration or just daily video updates. She reported the video and received yet more threats from the original poster. That was when a friend revealed that someone had posted a video of Velasquez on YouTube with the title of “World’s Ugliest Woman.” Lizzie went through the gamut of emotions after reading the comments that wished her death and shame. Velasquez grew into her personality, and by high school, she had made many friends and lived a normal teen life - that is, until her senior year. As Velasquez grew, health problems persisted, but nothing was as frightening as going to school with an undiagnosed syndrome that caused many children to pick on her. When Elizabeth “Lizzie” Velasquez was first born in Austin, Texas, her parents were unsure of what prevented their baby from gaining weight. Lizzie Velasquez in Washington, D.C., lobbying for stronger anti-bullying legislation, taken from a still for the new movie "A Brave Heart" SXSW
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