As a result of the rise of social media, we are continuously exposed to images of people who seem to have ideal appearances; it appears that society has become even more superficial in its evaluation of others.

When complete strangers feel forced to form an opinion about someone based only on how they appear on social media, the world can seem immensely cruel to those of us who don’t fit the stereotypical “perfect” pattern.

Karine de Souza is the only person who is more aware of this. The Brazilian woman has spent her entire life wearing SPF100 sunscreens on her skin because of her unusual skin condition, even while she is inside.

The 33-year-old has Xeroderma Pigmentosum, a condition that puts her at a high risk for developing skin cancer.

Her ”one-in-a-million” condition, which is incurable, means she is highly sensitive to UV rays as she lacks the ability to repair any damage the sun causes to her skin.

Just a few minutes in the sun can mean incredibly painful sunburn for her. Growing up, she was often isolated from the outside world because it was too dangerous for her to spend too much time outside her house.

“When I expose myself to the sun it doesn’t happen in the moment, I don’t feel anything. However, in the future, the lesions appear and need to be removed because of cancer,” she says.

Karine has undergone 130 surgical procedures, including the amputation of her lower lip and a portion of her nose, to eliminate sores brought on by the sun.

However, she has to go through more than just a physical struggle. Karine frequently receives strange looks while walking down the street and has endured online and offline verbal abuse.

She has even found love, yet she still maintains a positive outlook on life.

She met her husband Edmilson through social media, who fell in love with her “story and her strength.” Edmilson has always stood by Karine’s side, and he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He also decided to embrace Karine’s three children from her previous relationship, which of course, meant a lot to Karine.

”He came and he showed me that I could live a true love story”, she says.