AWARENESS UPDATE: ANGELINA JOLIE SAYS--DIFFERENT IS GOOD

And that's something that we with Moebius Syndrome can get behind.  Let's face it:  out in the world, that's how many people are going to see us.  And that's okay.  We can embrace it!  Because being "different" is good.  You're just as valuable as anyone else.  That's the message that we and others need to keep putting out there.  Had you heard that Ms. Jolie had said this?  She did so in a speech last month.  Good for her; and below you can read more about it:

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Angelina Jolie took the stage Saturday at Nickelodeon's 28th Annual Kids' Choice Awards and delivered a message of hope to anyone who's ever felt out of place.

In her first public appearance since revealing that she underwent a second preventive surgery to lower her risk of cancer, Jolie attended the show with her children, Shiloh and Zahara.

She hugged them before she went to the stage to accept the favorite villain award for her role as Maleficent in the live-action reimagining of "Sleeping Beauty."

"When I was little, like Maleficent, I was told that I was different. And I felt out of place -- too loud, too full of fire, never good at sitting still, never good at fitting in," the 39-year-old actor and humanitarian said.

"And, then one day I realized something, something that I hope you all realize: Different is good," she said, prompting enthusiastic screams from the young crowd.

"And, as your villain, I would also say cause a little trouble -- it's good for you."

Angelina Jolie delivers empowering speech at Kids' Choice Awards

Angelina Jolie delivers empowering speech at Kids' Choice Awards 5 photos

Actress Angelina Jolie hugs her children Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt, left, and Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, right, after winning the award for favorite villain in "Maleficent" during Nickelodeon's 28th Annual Kids' Choice Awards at The Forum on Saturday, March 28, in Inglewood, California. Click through for more pictures of Jolie at the awards:

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Angelina Jolie delivers empowering speech at Kids' Choice Awards 5 photos

Jolie walks to the stage to accept the award. Of her role in "Maleficent," critic Matt Zoller Seitz wrote on RogerEbert.com: "Jolie has never gotten the credit she deserves as both an old-fashioned glamorous movie star and a skilled, thoughtful actress; this part fuses both sides of her talent."

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Angelina Jolie delivers empowering speech at Kids' Choice Awards 5 photos

Jolie shared her message to the children to make their mark: "As your villain, I would also say cause a little trouble -- it's good for you." Queen Elizabeth II recently made Jolie an honorary dame for her campaign to end the scourge of sexual violence in war zones.

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Angelina Jolie delivers empowering speech at Kids' Choice Awards 5 photos

Jolie recently made news when she had surgery to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes to reduce her cancer risk.

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Angelina Jolie delivers empowering speech at Kids' Choice Awards 5 photos

Zahara Jolie-Pitt, left, their mom and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt take in the sights and sounds of the Nickelodeon show from the audience.

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Jolie's career has been full of unconventional twists and turns, from her breakthrough role in the biopic "Gia" to her current role as an actor, filmmaker and special envoy of the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees.

Her personal life also has made front page headlines over the years, including her adoption of children from developing countries and her candor in discussing her health.

Jolie, 39, wrote Tuesday in a New York Times essay that she had opted for the surgery after blood tests revealed markers that might have been an indication of early cancer.

Two years ago, she underwent a double mastectomy for similar reasons. Jolie's mother died of ovarian cancer, and the actress has a gene mutation that makes her chances of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer much higher than the overall population.

Jolie's revelation provoked an outpouring of support as the news spread across social media.

"It is not easy to make these decisions. But it is possible to take control and tackle head-on any health issue. You can seek advice, learn about the options and make choices that are right for you. Knowledge is power," she wrote.

 

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