Dean Clifford has spent his entire life proving doctors wrong. Born with the rare skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa, which causes painful blisters, tears and wounds, he was reportedly not expected to survive beyond childhood. Now 46, Clifford has refused to let the condition stop him from traveling, enjoying life and making memories with the people he loves.

But after sharing a photo with his mother at a rugby league game, he faced a different kind of pain. The picture went viral, and Meta’s AI reportedly described him as wearing a “zombie costume.” Cruel online users then began mocking his appearance, prompting Clifford to speak openly about the bullying he has endured since childhood.

Clifford explained that strangers have stared, whispered, threatened him and even tried to confront him because of his appearance. But rather than allowing the comments to defeat him, he responded defiantly, saying he would continue traveling the world and living life to the fullest. His message was simple: people hiding behind keyboards do not get to determine his worth.

Meta later apologized for the incident, saying the AI-generated prompts were automatic and “may not always produce the results intended.” The company said it took the experience seriously and encouraged users to report inappropriate AI-generated content. For Clifford, however, the incident highlighted something much bigger than a technology mistake — the importance of seeing the person behind a condition rather than judging someone by their appearance.