Web hit ... Rachel posted a photo of herself online And people responded. "Lose 60% of her lung ... wins 100% of my heart," someone wrote over her image. Like "Ridiculously Photogenic Guy" Zeddie Little, a 25-year-old New Yorker whose image went viral after he was photographed running a 10-kilometre race in South Carolina, Rachel's image spread like wildfire across the web. Some memes included: "Has to have lung removed ... to make room for the hearts of Reddit", "In hospital for a week ... in my dreams for eternity", "She has an injured lung ... you're the one that's breathless".

Internet memes ... Rachel's picture has gone viral in a similar way to Zeddie Little's. On Reddit, others wrote: "YOU CAN HAVE MY LUNGS THEN MAYBE AFTERWARDS WE CAN GO TO LUNCH", "That's either the best self-shot anyone has ever taken in the ICU, or you are just a very pretty lady". Rachel, who did not give her last name and goes by the nickname "WhosThatGirl-ItsRach" on Reddit, wrote that she "never felt more beautiful" after reading the comments and memes. "I just turned on my ipad today to try to read/reply to comments. WOW!!!! I can't believe how many people responded to my little post!!!" She added in a separate Reddit post dedicated to her image: "OMG you guys are killing me! I am still an emotional roller coaster on lots of pain meds! I don't know if I should thank you, or laugh, or cry!

"In real life, no one ever says anything about the way I look. I don't get hit on all the time(maybe because I don't like leaving my house if I don't have to) and I feel pretty average. People have been saying so may nice things about me the last few days. I've never felt more beautiful. Thank you :)." But she also challenged comments by others who questioned how she looked in the photo. "I read a few things online today where people said that photo must have been taken at the end of my hospital stay. I actually looked worse, the longer I was there," she wrote. "I am just as surprised as everyone else that I managed to look like that. I know exactly what it is, too. It was taken when I was still on so many pain meds that I couldn't feel anything but happiness!" Loading

Mr Little said last month that he planned to use his internet fame to run in the New York marathon and raise money for aortic disease. smh.com.au