At the age of ten-years-old, Lisa Goodman-Helfand, now 40, was diagnosed with a scleroderma, an autoimmune disease characterized by the hardening of the skin and connective tissues. The disease leaves her with red blotches all over her body; face included.
The teacher and blogger wanted to share her story of the painful condition, however, Facebook was not having it; a make-up-less woman with red blotches would cause “high negative feedback.”
Find out more after the jump.
JaaiR (JR)
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Lisa, who had posted a picture of her blotched face side-by-side of another picture of her friend Chanel White, who also suffers from the disease. The difference between the two women, Lisa is being affected on the outside, and White is being affected on the inside; scleroderma hardening her organs.
After writing about it in in her blog, Lisa decided that she would have liked to promote the article with a $20 ad on Facebook, however, she received an automated message saying the photo had been rejected, according to the Daily Mail.
‘Your ad wasn’t approved because it includes “before and after” images, or other images showing unexpected or unlikely results. It’s also recommended that you avoid focusing on specific body parts, because these images typically receive high negative feedback,’ the message read.
Lisa responded letting administration know that, “This is not a ‘before and after’ type ad. It is a serious article on a serious disease.” A human being from the Facebook Ad team replied with the same message that the automated machine had given out, so she had decided to go back to the blog.
“Does anyone else see the irony in my face violating Facebook’s ad policy?’ she asked. ‘Would my scleroderma-ravaged elbows, or fingers have been less offensive?,” she wrote. With it being the first time she had shown her make-up-less face, Lisa had hoped to spread awareness. She says, despite what many may thing, she is still, “putting my faith in humanity and hoping this will get more positive reactions than negative.’”
#IJS: I’ve been on Facebook; I’ve seen way worse.
Hit up the gallery for Lisa without her make-up.
