Almost everyone has experienced bullying at some point in their life, most often as a child or a teen.
Unfortunately, dealing with bullying as a kid or a young adult can be extremely traumatizing.
People who are on the receiving end of these words have to deal with the consequences, however, and that can often lead to self-doubt and a lack of self-confidence.
One young woman, 16-year-old Alba Pareja of Barcelona, Spain, knows just how hard it can be to handle being bullied as a kid.
Alba was born with congenital melanocytic nevus, a condition that covers her body in moles and patches of dark, hairy skin.
With over 500 birthmarks, Alba was called "dalmatian" and "alien" by bullies. She felt like a monster and desperately wanted to just look like everyone else.
Last year, though, everything changed.
Alba posted pictures of her skin online, expecting to share some information about her condition with her friends, but the photos quickly went viral.
[H/T Daily Mail]
Alba Pareja was always bullied for the appearance of her skin.
People stared and pointed when they saw Alba, now 16, which made her feel extremely self-conscious about her body.
Growing up, people stared and called her terrible names.
"The worst thing I heard was someone telling me 'don't show your back to anyone, because no one wants a misshapen girlfriend,' Alba told Daily Mail.
By the time she was 5, Alba had already had 30 surgeries to remove the birthmarks, but the pain became too much for her to handle.
The condition, called congenital melanocytic nevus, causes much of Alba's skin to be covered in dark, hairy patches and spotty moles.
Growing up, Alba just wanted to look normal.
She was embarrassed by the appearance of her skin.
With a lot of support from her friends, parents, and psychologists, Alba finally learned to love her body, realizing that her condition makes her who she is.
Last year, she decided to post a picture on Twitter embracing her birthmarks, and she was stunned when she got nearly 1,500 likes and 1,000 retweets.
People everywhere applauded Alba's bravery in sharing pictures of her condition, thanking her for helping normalize differences.
Alba told Daily Mail, "Last year I chose to be more open about my condition and posted photos of my skin on twitter, thinking that it would only be seen by friends but I was wrong."
But, boy, was she wrong. People everywhere saw her picture and were immediately able to relate to it.
Whether or not they had visible conditions, they understood the feeling of being bullied for things they cannot change.
Alba said, "I had people contact me from all over the world, telling me how inspirational I was and it has helped to love who I am and my skin."
With all the positive reinforcement Alba was getting from her family, friends, and strangers on the internet, she decided to enter a competition to be the face of a shopping center's empowerment campaign.
To Alba's surprise, she won, and she's now featured in magazines, in newspapers, on billboards, and on buses.
Alba is ecstatic that her skin condition is helping open others' eyes about diversity and differences.
"I feel very happy now," she told Daily Mail. "I show my disease as I love when people react positively, they think my body is 'fantastic' and artists adore my skin, they see it as art."
What do you think of Alba's bravery in sharing her photo? Let us know in the comments below!
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