World's 'Ugliest Woman' Pursues Anti-Bullying Film
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/AP) -- In December, Lizzie Velasquez inspired millions with her TED Talk.
Now the 25-year-old talks about how being labeled "the world's ugliest woman" inspired her anti-bullying campaign. Velasquez hopes to reach an even-wider audience through a documentary about her story.
The project is described as a "documentary following the life of Lizzie Velasquez, her triumphant journey to the other side of bullying, and her mission to inspire and empower a more positive online environment."
Velasquez has a rare disease that makes it impossible for her to gain weight -- a disease which only three people worldwide are known to have. The Austin native has never weighed more than 64 pounds and is blind in one eye.
While Velasquez was still in high school, she discovered a YouTube video of herself titled "the ugliest woman in the world." The video received millions of views.
She told The Associated Press, during a recent interview at a coffee shop in Austin, that the idea is for people to see the documentary and realize _ yes, it is possible to overcome everything.
She's raising money for the film, tentatively titled ``The Lizzie Project,'' through a Kickstarter campaign that ends May 31. As of Friday, she has raised over $127,000 -- making the project 70 percent funded.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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