Don’t be fooled by her pretty face, there’s so much more to Lyric Mariah Heard than her good looks. The 21-year-old model was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, a non-genetic birth defect caused in-utero which left her with only one foot and two disfigured hands, but she’s inspiring others to live their best lives.
Heard was bullied for her appearance growing up, but she didn’t let her physical differences stop her from loving herself fully. Now she wants to be an advocate for others with disabilities and to help them see their unique beauty.
“My appearance gave me a purpose and my modeling gave me a platform,” Heard says. “Self-love is the most important kind of love — all of your passions, all of your dreams, all of your aspirations will flourish when you truly love yourself, because then and only then can you succeed.”