A woman in China who has to be fed through a tube because she suffers from a rare disease has remarkably retained her optimism, encouraging and impressing many people.

Liu Kaixin was born with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a rare genetic connective tissue disorder. The syndrome has many subtypes, and Liu’s symptoms include possible multiple organ failure.

The 32-year-old has been living on a feeding tube for the past nine years amid fears that not doing so could have dire consequences.

She has also been using a cardiac pacemaker and chemo port around the clock for years.

She jokingly refers to herself as a “cyborg”.

Born in eastern China’s Shandong province, Liu grew up in constant pain. She stopped growing at the age of 10. Her weight was 31kg last year.

Liu’s parents consulted many doctors, but the disease was too rare for them to offer a correct diagnosis.