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Social media influencer Gena Tew, who has been diagnosed with AIDS, has shared video footage of herself taking her first steps in a year.
The 27-year-old model has been documenting her condition in a series of social media posts since revealing her illness in March.
In one clip shared to TikTok, where Tew has more than 660,000 followers, the social media star showed herself struggling to get up from her bed after her weight had plummeted and muscle atrophy had weakened her legs. That clip, which was shared on June 11, has been watched more than 12 million times.
On Tuesday, Tew shared a new video on TikTok: footage of herself taking steps with the aid of a walking frame.
With "Staying Alive" by DJ Khaled, Drake and Lil Baby as the soundtrack, Tew can be seen lifting herself from her bed before laboring to walk a few steps and then returning to sit down.
"My first steps in a year.. this is a BIG deal to me," she captioned the 41-second clip, which can be watched in full at the top of this article.
Shortly after the video was uploaded, Tew revealed in an Instagram story that she would be working on improving her walking strength.
"Guys, my feet aren't touching the floor right now, because I'm still working on my ankles," she wrote. "I get foot braces in the next week and they're going to be working for two months to get my feet back on the floor. Progress!"
In August, Tew said she had undergone eye surgery, after her illness caused significant sight loss.
On one of her posts, Tew used the hashtag "#CMV" in reference to cytomegalovirus retinitis, an ocular complication for people living with AIDS.
In recent months, Tew has shared a slew of videos about her health, including visits to doctors and posts from her home, in which she revealed that she had lost sight in one eye and that her weight had dipped to a low of 65 pounds.
Tew's weight is now up to 95 pounds, she said.
Although there is no cure for AIDS or for HIV, the virus that causes it, medications can control the infection and greatly slow its progression.
"Thanks to these life-saving treatments, most people with HIV in the U.S. today don't develop AIDS. Untreated, HIV typically turns into AIDS in about 8 to 10 years," Mayo Clinic states.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more