This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

VIDEO: Lizzie Velásquez asks pediatricians to be the voice of their patients

ORLANDO, Fla. — In this video perspective from the AAP National Conference & Exhibition, motivational speaker Lizzie Velásquez discusses how she discovered her voice and learned to speak up — both in doctors’ offices and in public. Velásquez, who was born with a rare congenital condition called Marfanoid-progeroid-lipodystrophy syndrome, has been the victim of bullying.

“I had to learn to live in a world where I didn’t look like everyone else,” she said.

During a plenary session, Velásquez encouraged pediatricians to be the voice of patients who may not know how to use theirs yet. 

Disclosure: Velásquez reports no relevant financial disclosures.