Born with a Grim Prognosis, She Graduated, Published Books, and Forgave Her Bullies
In a deeply moving TED Talk, a 25-year-old woman shared her extraordinary journey of resilience. At birth, doctors told her parents that she might never walk, talk, or live long. Her childhood was filled with medical challenges and emotional trauma, worsened by cruel comments about her appearance. One day, she stumbled upon a video of herself online, filled with hateful remarks — one even suggested she should end her life to “do the world a favor.”
From Online Cruelty to Global Courage: Young Woman Turns Pain into Purpose
But instead of breaking down, she chose a different path. She decided she would not be known for her looks, but for her work and character. She set ambitious goals: to graduate from college, build a career, write a book, and live a joyful life with her family. By the time of her speech, she had already achieved all of that — and more. She had written two books, submitted a third manuscript, and launched her own channel on the same video-sharing platform where she was once mocked.
In a powerful act of grace, she even forgave the person who had uploaded that hurtful video. Her story, also featured on BBC Urdu (though she disliked the title), is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. She credits her parents for teaching her how to live with her challenges rather than fear them. As she put it, “Judging girls by their looks is the cheapest thing anyone can do. But those who treat others with empathy and teach them how to live — they are the truly beautiful ones.”
