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.

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Photo by: AFP
She was married before she was old enough to walk, but 17 years later Laxmi Sargara went from child bride to history maker when she and her husband had their arranged marriage annulled. When her family informed her about her marital obligations, "I was unhappy about the marriage," Sargara told AFP. "I told my parents who did not agree with me, then I sought help." She reached out to a social worker in Jodhpur, India, who advocates ... more
Photo by: AFP
She was married before she was old enough to walk, but 17 years later Laxmi Sargara went from child bride to history maker when she and her husband had their arranged marriage annulled. When her family informed her about her marital obligations, "I was unhappy about the marriage," Sargara told AFP. "I told my parents who did not agree with me, then I sought help." She reached out to a social worker in Jodhpur, India, who advocates for children's rights; after much negotiation, the groom (who was now 21) agreed to cancel the marriage after he understood that his wife was willing to risk her life to live without him. (Read her story: Child Bride's Marriage Annulled.)
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