Girl with brain damage who suffered vile online abuse over her facial deformities has died aged 10

Prior to her death, Sophia and her mother began to check items off the pre-teen’s bucket list, including green hair extensions

 

A girl who was targeted with vile abuse from online trolls over her facial deformities has died at the age of 10.

Sophia Weaver from North Carolina passed away from complications of Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological and developmental disorder, which affects brain development and leads to the decline of language, breathing, walking, motor and social skills.

Weaver, who had been living in a hospice after undergoing 20 surgeries, had at one point become the target of online harassment and trolling after her image was used in an offensive tweet about abortion.  

The user wrote: "It is okay to think that every child matters, however a lot of them do not hence the amnio test. (It) should be a mandatory test and if it proves negative and the woman does not want to abort then all bills accrued after that is on her and the father."

Natalie Weaver, Sophia’s mother, hit back at Twitter’s lack of action, saying: “@TwitterSupport Just received an email that Twitter doesn’t think a person using my child’s image as the poster child to ABORT & to weed out all the ‘defectives’ in utero is a violation. Why? Bc they won’t recognize hate toward ppl w/ disabilities in their regulations/reports.”

After the internet came to Sophia and Natalie’s defence, the social media platform removed the tweet and suspended the poster. However, this was not an isolated incident, and Sophia and her family continued to receive both harassment and support, which influenced Natalie to become an activist and advocate for children with disabilities.Prior to her death, Sophia and her mother began to check items off the pre-teen’s bucket list, including green hair extensions.

“Once we pull ourselves from this shattering pain we will continue to help others in her memory.” said Natalie Weaver in an Instagram post on Friday.    

Barcelona vs Valencia: Marcelino’s side stun Lionel Messi to clinch Copa del Rey and end trophy drought

 valencia beat Barcelona 2-1 to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday, ending the Spanish champions’ four-year winning streak in the competition and denying them a domestic double.

Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo Moreno struck first-half goals to give Marcelino‘s dominant Valencia control of the final in Seville’s sweltering Benito Villamarin stadium.

Record 30-times Cup winners Barcelona struggled without injured forwards Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele but Lionel Messi pulled the Catalans back into the game with a close-range finish.

Goncalo Guedes missed a gilt-edged chance in stoppage-time for Valencia but they held on to win their first major trophy since last lifting the Cup in 2008.

“I’m so happy because for me, my family, it’s incredible,” said Valencia captain Dani Parejo. “A club like Valencia deserves a lot more joy like this. I don’t have the words, it’s incredible.

We’ve made history in a really significant year, our centenary year.”

Valencia finished fourth in La Liga after a strong second half of the season, reaching the Europa League semi-finals and ending an impressive campaign with this victory.

By contrast, Barcelona’s campaign collapsed in the last fortnight as they threw away a three-goal Champions League semi-final lead to be eliminated by Liverpool before letting the Cup slip out of their hands.

Barcelona were bidding to lift themselves from their humiliation on Merseyside by securing the ninth domestic double in their history, but despite Messi’s efforts they were over-run by a determined and well-drilled Valencia side.

Gerard Pique was forced to clear Rodrigo’s effort off the line before Gameiro blasted Marcelino’s side ahead in the 22nd minute after good work from Jose Luis Gaya.

The Catalans failed to create openings and Rodrigo nodded home the second after Carlos Soler whipped a ball across the face of goal.

Messi struck the post with a delightful outside-of-the-boot effort before slotting home the rebound when Jaume Domenech saved Clement Lenglet’s header for his 51st goal of the season, but it was not enough.