2012 Year in Review: The Most Inspirational Stories of the Year

Once called "The World's Ugliest Woman," Lizzie Velasquez was born with a medical condition so rare that just two other people in the world are thought to have it: She weighs just 60 pounds and has no adipose tissue, and cannot create muscle, store energy, or gain weight. She inspired women the world over earlier this year when, during an interview with CNN, she said that people "should stop staring and start learning." Since then, she told Yahoo! Shine, she's been flooded with speaking requests and supportive emails. In 2013 she's hoping write her third book (her second, "Be Beautiful, Be You" came out in September), continue her work as a motivational speaker, and meet as many people as possible in 2013.

1 - 8 of 12

1 - 12 of 12

1 of 12 photos

Photo by: Kevin Wagstaff
After seeing a T-Shirt that read "I'm too pretty to do my homework, so my brother does it for me," Kevin Wagstaff decided to launch his own clothing company, hoping to provide his young daughter with more inspirational messages to consider. In just a few months, Keira's Kollection has grown, expanding their offerings and partnering with non-profits that support girls and women. "I do want to make a real-world difference ... more
Photo by: Kevin Wagstaff
After seeing a T-Shirt that read "I'm too pretty to do my homework, so my brother does it for me," Kevin Wagstaff decided to launch his own clothing company, hoping to provide his young daughter with more inspirational messages to consider. In just a few months, Keira's Kollection has grown, expanding their offerings and partnering with non-profits that support girls and women. "I do want to make a real-world difference with this," he told Yahoo! Shine . "There's always room for another brand that can do good." (Read his story: T-Shirt Company Aims to Empower Girls.)
less