A paramedic was attacked by trolls online for wearing a full face of makeup to work.
Laura Heath, who is newly qualified, posted a selfie on Twitter and said how proud she was to work for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.
Laura is sat in the front of an ambulance for the selfie which quickly racked up thousands of likes and retweets.
The 24-year-old was widely praised for her work on the front line during the unprecedented pandemic which has put significant strain on all sections of the NHS.
But some people were not happy with Laura - and decided to attack her for wearing makeup.
One bitterly replied: "Proud to be a heavily made up paramedic for this photo."
Another said: "Seriously? I think that you've probably got better things to do than trout pout!"
Meanwhile, a third moaned: "Wtf really? 'Look at me I'm gorgeous an I work for the NHS' selfies for a few likes while people are dying smh."
One added: "Pride is a sin and so is VANITY."
However, Laura has now spoken up against her critics and explained how the countless cruel comments affected her.
Explaining the full impact to Tyla, Laura said: The unkind comments were mainly focused on my appearance and the fact I wear makeup.
"I was told I am the reason the death toll is rising [in reference to the coronavirus pandemic].
She continued: "[People said] that I'm a glorified first aider and it's ok for paramedics during this pandemic as we get to go home after dropping a patient off."
Laura says she was struggling with her mental health on the day she posted the selfie.
She continued: "The replies made me feel hurt and upset that people really think that shallow of me and judge my whole persona on one photograph.
"I've only been qualified for six months and I never thought I would me facing something of this magnitude."
Laura hoped her post would make other girls want to work for the NHS.
She added: "The whole purpose of my post was to try and be a role model to young females who want to make a difference in the world and show that we can be on the frontline too."
That said, the overwhelming majority of the feedback Laura received was positive.
"Go girl. Proud to be in the NHS. Proud to be part of the Ambulance Service," one replied.
"Ignore the haters. Do what you do. We're behind you!"
"I think she can wear makeup, do her hair & be a great paramedic all at once," another joked.
