True love should go beyond looks and must be about seeing a person’s heart and soul. It’s the character of the person – including how they treats their partners in a relationship – if two people are meant for each other or not. Sadly, society continues to put pressure on everyone when it comes to beauty standards. But one man proved that not all people think alike, loving a woman beyond her looks and choosing to spend the rest of his life with her.
In October 2018, a couple went viral as a man named Edmilson Alcântara from Ceará, Brazil, loved his girlfriend Karine de Souza – who has a rare skin condition – unconditionally. Their story particularly touched the hearts of many because de Souza’s condition isn’t an ordinary skin disease but rather one that had people discriminating against her.
Some people started calling her a “monster” because of her condition called xeroderma pigmentosum, for which she was first diagnosed when she was 3 years old.
“We have already read many offensive comments calling me a monster, deformed, a zombie,” de Souza told Truly in an interview back in April 2020.
Her rare condition made her deficient in the DNA system that helps repair skin damage. That meant she wasn’t allowed to be exposed to ultraviolet rays because she was at risk of getting skin cancer.
That’s why she spends most of her time inside the house, only getting sunlight when she needs to see her doctor and applying sunscreen with SPF 100 every two hours.
Ever since she was diagnosed at the age of 3, de Souza has had several surgical procedures to remove each one of her lesions.
Even though her condition is genetic and non-contagious, some people stare at her while others stay away from her.
“I am the target of a lot of glances, a lot of people staring at me, some of them distance themselves,” Karine said.
But de Souza said she couldn’t be more thankful for her family, who became a big part of her journey.
“My family was very important in my childhood, they were always by my side, helping me whenever necessary, especially my parents,” she told The Epoch Times.
Despite her condition, de Souza still found true love. He started talking to Alcântara in January 2018. “He sent me a friend request, I accepted, but I didn’t realize I was about to meet the great (love) of my life,” de Souza remarked. Five months later, they finally met each face to face. “I fell in love, he really is an amazing man,” de Souza said.
Alcântara, on the other hand, admitted that he fell in love with de Souza’s story, particularly the strength she has shown through all of it. In July 2019, they got married, and Alcântara has since become a loving father to de Souza’s three children: Gabrielly, Kauanny and Gabriel.
The mom also said people have assumed that she must be rich and therefore could be Alcântara’s “sugar mommy” but chose to shrug those comments off.
Alcântara works at a restaurant while she is a homemaker. “I am an excellent housewife, I love to take care of the house and I love to cook,” de Souza proudly shared.
She also left a message for those who might be having doubts that true love is real: “Love exists, believe me!” She also gave a piece of advice to those who are having doubts in life. “Never give up on yourself, never stop believing in better days. And most important of all is to have faith,” she said.
What can you say about Edmilson Alcântara and Karine de Souza’s relationship? Were you also inspired by their story? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to people who might find this story interesting!
