DUNGUN: An interstitial lung disease patient has denied speculations from netizens who are saying that she uses an oxygen tube as content for TikTok.
Dhia Saffia Mohd Azmir, 19, suffers from the chronic disease since she was a four-month-old baby.
The disease causes damage or scarring to her lung tissues, affecting her ability to breathe and obtain sufficient oxygen into the blood.
Despite the fact that she had to use an oxygen tube on a regular basis, she attracted attention on TikTok for her confidence and sophisticated appearance.
Dhia Saffia said she had to rely on an oxygen machine since infancy.
The eldest of three siblings said she had two oxygen machines, one of which was portable for outdoor use, and that she became weary fast without oxygen.
"My oxygen levels would drop between 90 per cent and 92 per cent. With the availability of oxygen machines, the reading can reach 95 to 97 per cent, but reaching 99 to 100 per cent is challenging.
"I can't walk for lengthy periods of time, such as at shopping malls or faraway parking lots, because I grow tired and sluggish.
"There are occasions when I do not use the tube (oxygen), such as when bathing or in the kitchen," she said when contacted by Harian Metro today.
Dhia Saffia said she was lessening her reliance on the machine, as advised by her doctor.
She said her adolescent years were distinct from those of her contemporaries because she was unable to engage in strenuous activities or participate in sporting events due to her disability.
However, she said her friends would always be by her side.
"My family and friends provide strong support, and they would choose less strenuous activities for my sake. I have also felt hopeless because I have been dependent on oxygen for far too long.
"But I always look at my condition as a test from God.
Dhia Saffia, who is also a live host at a cosmetic boutique, revealed that she shared on TikTok merely to be herself and not to garner attention from netizens on her health condition.