00:00 [Music]
00:04 Nemeline rod myopathy, a disorder that causes weak muscles and diminished muscle tone,
00:09 is classified as a rare disease in Malaysia.
00:12 It affects only a small percentage of the general population,
00:16 and Linggiswari Apparao, better known as Linda Rao, is one of them.
00:20 [Music]
00:28 It started when I was two years old.
00:31 So, until six years old, I can walk, but as a walker, you know, I can't run.
00:39 I will be very slow in walking, short distance, and get tired too fast.
00:46 At age six, she was also diagnosed with progressive alveolar hyperventilation syndrome,
00:52 a condition that affects her breathing and requires her to depend on a machine.
00:57 Later, Linda began using a wheelchair and was diagnosed with scoliosis.
01:03 In school, she would stand out from her classmates by bringing along her breathing machine
01:08 and a fan to keep the machine cool.
01:10 I started to realize that, oh, I'm not.
01:14 I am a special person physically, and I have special requirements compared to other students.
01:24 So, I didn't know. I always thought that, oh, am I the only one in this world like this, with this condition?
01:32 Because I couldn't see anyone like me.
01:35 Everyone is like different, but I couldn't connect with them because I have so many diseases.
01:44 Yet, like most girls, she had a passion for fashion and dreamt of becoming a model.
01:50 To fit in, Linda initially shared edited photos of herself on social media
01:55 without revealing that she used a wheelchair or breathing machine.
01:58 Then, at age 20, she decided to stop hiding.
02:03 Her courage has paid off as she was eventually signed by Dawn Management,
02:08 a local talent and modeling agency, and in January won the Miss Congeniality title
02:13 in the Miss Amazing Malaysia Beauty Pageant, which celebrates differently-abled women.
02:19 She has also started a business, Absolute Glam by Linda Rao,
02:23 selling products such as eyeliners, lashes, and beauty blenders.
02:27 Today, Linda holds a diploma in management, has a full-time job in human resources,
02:33 and shares snippets of her life on social media, hoping to inspire others.
02:40 I assume that I'm weak, I'm uneducated, I'm just a normal girl who stays at home.
02:50 But I feel like I did a lot of things in my life to educate myself, educate others.
02:57 So please do not judge others without knowing them.
03:03 For her, beauty is self-confidence.
03:06 I would like to say and tell my brothers and sisters who have rare conditions,
03:13 that the world is changing.
03:16 Trust me, the world is changing.
03:18 At the same time, you guys need to come out to feel confident in yourself.
03:23 And it is okay to be different, because trust me, all of us are different.
03:28 Divya Ragu and Sheila Vijayan, FMT Lifestyle.
03:33 style.
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