Lizzie Velasquez , pictured with documentary director Sara Hirsh Bordo arrive , at the premiere of ' A Brave Heart : The Lizzie Velasquez Story ' today . Lizzie Velasquez has known the torment of being mocked by bullies from around the world . As a 17-year-old surfing the web , she came across a video of herself on YouTube that described her as the 'world 's ugliest woman ' . The devastated teenager spent days shutting herself from the world behind a wall of tears , thinking her life was over . But now 26 , the inspirational woman has hit back at the trolls with an anti-bullying documentary about her life , describing her battle with a rare condition which stops her putting on weight . ' A Brave Heart : The Lizzie Velasquez Story ' premiers at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin , Texas , today . The 78-minute film charts Lizzie 's inspiring path from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist . Featuring details of Lizzie 's emotional and physical journey through the years , it follows her progress as she attempts to lobby the US government for the first federal anti-bullying Bill . She was born with Marfan syndrome and lipodystrophy , which is a problem with the way fat is distributed in the body . At only 5ft 2ins tall , Lizzie only weighs 58lbs - just over four stone . 'All we had known all my life was that I had a syndrome which meant that I could n't gain weight . 'At the time , I thought everyone looked like me . I did n't recognise or tell that they did n't look like me . ' Lizzie , born with a rare condition which prevents her from gaining weight , was tormented by bullies at school but was shocked to discover thousands of cruel comments on a YouTube video of her at the age of 17 . First bullied as a child in school for looking different , she was horrified to stumble across a YouTube video labeling her 'The World 's Ugliest Woman ' as a teenager . The video , viewed four million times , was accompanied by a cascade of cruel comments about her appearance - and suggestions that she should have killed at birth . 'It was afternoon . I decided to go look for music on YouTube - and that 's when I found it , ' she said . ' I do n't even know why I clicked on it but I did and that 's when I lost it . Speaking ahead of her documentary 's showing today , Lizzie said : ' I 'm so excited , I ca n't even tell you ' 'Calling me a monster or asking why my parents did n't abort me ... how in the world can I forgive the people who told me to kill myself ? ' She fought back by giving a TED Talk in 2013 which she says 'changed everything ' . 'This is my purpose . This is what I 'm meant to do for the rest of my life . ' I like to think that I 'm not only telling my story , I 'm telling everyone 's story . ' Now , Lizzie 's own YouTube channel , which boasts more than 300,000 subscribers . Speaking in a video posted to her channel ahead of her documentary 's showing today , she said : ' I 'm so excited , I ca n't even tell you . ' I finally was able to sleep and I 'm feeling rested and ready to go . ' But the inspiring 26-year-old fought back by becoming a motivational speaker and anti-bullying activist . Director Sara Hirsh Bordo said : 'Bullying is a subject that historically yields heartbreaking stories of hopelessness and in many times , loss . 'Rarely is there a story of survival and inspiration that continues to crossover ages , genders , and ethnicities… enter the brave story of Lizzie Velasquez . ' The pair met when Ms Bordo asked her to give the TED Talk , which attracted more than 10million viewers . 'She was a local hero whose time , we found out shortly after , had arrived , ' she added . 'We live in a culture of tremendous meanness . And few people have experienced it more than Lizzie . 'Lizzie chose to not give up , but to forgive and to thrive ; as an author , as a speaker , and now as an activist . ' She added : 'What I wanted to show is that this is Lizzie ’ s film , but it is everyone ’ s story . ' Marfan Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects the body ’ s connective tissue , which hold the body ’ s cells and organs together . Connective tissue also plays an important role in helping the body grow and develop properly . Marfan affects about one in 5,000 people - and can affect men and women of all races and ethnic groups . Three-quarters of those who have it inherit it - and there is a 50 % chance that someone with Marfan syndrome will pass along the genetic mutation each time they have a child . But some are the first in their family to have it , which is called spontaneous mutation when it happens . People with Marfan syndrome are born with it , but features of the disorder are not always present immediately . Some features of Marfan syndrome , including those affecting the heart and blood vessels , bones or joints , can get worse over time . This means it is important for early diagnosis and treatment in order to avoid the risk for potentially life-threatening complications . Source : Marfan Foundation .
Lizzie Velasquez was born with syndrome which stops her gaining weight . She has Marfan and lipodystrophy and weighs just 5 at 58lbsft 2ins tall . At 17 , she was horrified to discover a cruel YouTube video featuring her . Fought back with an inspiring TED Talk which attracted millions of views .