The Most Inspirational Stories of 2012

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. "There are so many different people out there with so many different stories," she told Yahoo! Shine. "Hearing their stories is what inspires me. That's what keeps me going."

Having no body fat or muscle tissue makes Lizzie Velasquez prone to injuries that most people would never think about -- like stress fractures in her feet from walking or standing, since the bottoms of her feet have no padding. (She's in a cast right now. "I fracture my foot if I'm not wearing the supportive shoes I'm supposed to wear," she confessed to Yahoo! Shine. "I'm usually wearing the cute shoes that match my outfit.") But it's made her think about New Years' resolutions, and how people are often focused on improving their outward appearances. "Instead of making it a goal to lose weight or to grow your hair longer, whatever it is to make yourself physically better, people should look toward making not only their character better, but helping others," she suggests. (Read her story: Lessons from "The World's Ugliest Woman": Stop Staring and Start Learning.) 

 

Dreams do come true," Olympic gymnast Aly Reisman tweeted along with a photo of the U.S. women's gymnastics team -- the first to win the gold since 1996. The TV interviews and appearances are exiting, but the joy on their faces in these candid photos after their win were what really inspired all of us. (See more of the photos at Yahoo! Shine.) 

 

When his 10-year-old son, Akian, who has autism, was having problems in class, Stuart Chaifetz knew there was more going on than he was being told. So he rigged a recording device for his son and sent him to school. What he heard was appalling. Angry adults yelling at kids to "shut up," having inappropriate personal conversations in front of the children, and goading Akian to the point of tears -- and then laughing at him. After he couldn't get the school to fix the problem completely, Chaifetz put the recordings online and demanded that the teachers apologize to the boy they had abused. "I want an apology, not for me, but so one day I can play this video back for my son and say Akian, you didn't deserve anything that happened to you," he said. "It's not about money. It's about dignity." (Read his story: Dad Secretly Tapes Autistic Son at School.) 

 

Dawn Loggins was attending a prestigious summer program on scholarship in 2011 when she discovered that her parents -- drug abusers who struggled for years -- had left the state, abandoning her, her brother, and their grandmother. Instead of wallowing or worrying, though, the teen was determined to succeed, in spite of her new homeless status. She got a job doing janitorial work before class, moved into a friend's home, and caught up on classes online. In June she graduated from high school -- and got ready to move to Cambridge, to attend Harvard University. "What was I going to do? Cry about it?" she told The Shelby Star newspaper. "I just made a decision that I was not going to end up like my parents." (Read her story: Homeless, Abandoned -- and Heading to Harvard) 

 

Talia Joy Castellano, 13, was first diagnosed with cancer in 2007. The courageous teen went through many rounds of chemo, which eventually left her bald. Since she disliked wearing wigs, she turned to cosmetics to make herself feel more confident, and about a year and a half ago launched a series of makeup tutorials on YouTube, where she quickly racked up more than 335,000 followers and close to 27 million video views. In August, she was diagnosed with a second form of cancer and, while she's not sure whether she'll endure treatment, she is determined to live what's left of her life to the fullest. In October, she earned the opportunity of a lifetime: She was chosen to be an honorary Covergirl model. She's still video blogging at Taliajoy.com.

 

When WKBT-TV morning news anchor Jennifer Livingston got an email criticizing her for her weight, she fought back against the fat-shaming with an on-air editorial that had viewers cheering. "To all of the children out there who feel lost, who are struggling with your weight, with the color your skin, your sexual preference, your disability, even the acne on your face. Listen to me right now: Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies," she said. When the bully refused to back down, she continued to stand up to him. "What kind of message am I teaching her when my husband and I are talking about this mean email that I received and I'm not taking a stand for myself?" she said on NBC's "Today" show in October. "I can stand up for myself, there's a lot of people that can't. And I'm gonna do it." (Read her story: News Anchor Takes Fat-Shaming Bully To Task)

 

He's not even six months old yet, but Joey Powling Jr. is already aweing people with his bravery and resilience. Born with a condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), little Joey underwent open-heart surgery when he was just three months old. Five days afterward, as his mom tried to snap a photo of his torso-long scar, the baby started grinning. His uncle posted the picture on Reddit with the caption: "My three-month-old nephew just had open heart surgery. Chicks dig scars, right?" And an internet inspiration was born. (Read his story: Meet the Bravest Baby on the Internet.) 

 

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.) 

 

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.) 

 

Doug Eaton wanted to celebrate his 65th birthday on June 11 in a big way, so he turned to his friends for ideas. He ended up marking the day with 65 random acts of kindness, including spending 65 minutes handing out free money to people passing by, leaving huge tips with his $12 haircut and $1.09 cup of coffee, buying lunch for people at a local restaurant, and giving bus fare to strangers. "This day has been one of the biggest blessings of my recent life," he told his Facebook friends. "I don't know if I can wait until another birthday to do this again. But what if it became a habit? Or what if everyone or a lot of people did their birthday number of random acts of kindness on their birthday? How good would that be?" (Read his story: Man Celebrates 65th Birthday By Giving Away Money.) 

 

After someone snapped a photo of her and posted it online, Ohio State University student Balpreet Kaur was ridiculed for following her Sikh faith and not removing her facial hair. But instead of lashing out, she politely posted a reply -- and turned a cyber bullying situation into a inspiring example of tolerance, support, and inspiration. "I'm not embarrassed or even humiliated by the attention [negative and positive] that this picture is getting, because it's who I am," she explained. "My attitude and thoughts and actions have more value in them than my body… by not focusing on the physical beauty, I have time to cultivate those inner virtues and hopefully, focus my life on creating change and progress for this world in any way I can." (Read her story: Sikh Woman Turns Cyber Bullying into Inspiration.) 

 

More inspirational stories on Shine:
Paying It Forward, Jayden Style: Random Acts of Kindness in Honor of a Little Boy Tisha Unarmed's Inspiring Everyday Life