Justine Van Den Borne went shopping with her daughter at a local mall and parked in a handicap parking spot as she always does.
But, when they returned to their car, they found a very insensitive note on her windshield wiper.
The note read: "Did you forget your wheelchair???"
The moment, reminiscent to the time a veteran found a similar note on his car, ruined their day.
Van Den Borne, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, decided to share the cruel note on her Facebook page along with an explanation as to why she's entitled to the parking spot.
Her post, which also raises awareness for what it means to be disabled, quickly went viral with more than 200,000 likes and 50,000 shares. She also received thousands of comments from supporters who praised her and even shared similar experiences.
"What a horrible thing to put on someone's car. There are many reasons people have a disability badge in the car not just because they use a wheelchair. There are elderly people with heart conditions who are entitled to a blue badge. Not all disabilities can be seen but it doesn't mean they are not there," one user wrote.
Read Van Den Borne's powerful response below…
What seemed like an ordinary day of shopping for Justine Van Den Borne became a hurtful and unforgettable one.
The reason? She saw the cruel little note below left on her windshield after she left the Mitcham Shopping Centre in Australia.
She took to Facebook to respond and the post has since gone viral with more than 50,000 shares.
Van Den Borne opened the letter explaining that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) when she was 35. The disease, which affects about 2.5 million people worldwide, targets the brain and spinal cord leading to problems with vision, muscle control, speech, and more.
"Not just MS but the worst one that never goes away and is slowly crippling my life," Van Den Borne wrote.
"My kids have had to deal with things that kids shouldn't ever have to deal with and all of our futures are forever changed."
"On the day you saw me, I was having a good day, I was walking with my daughter unaided having a nice day. Thank you for ruining that. You made me feel like people were looking at me, the exact way I feel when I can't walk properly. I am sick of people like yourself abusing me on my good days for using a facility I am entitled to," she wrote.
She also went on to educate the bully on the different degrees of disability that entitle someone to a handicap parking spot.
"A disability doesn't always mean a person has to be wheelchair-bound, but lucky for you I one day will be. Right now my focus is to walk into my best friend's wedding next September and not have to be pushed. I will be 42," she wrote. "Before you ruin another person's day, remember you don't know everything and just because you can't see it, it doesn't mean a person isn't struggling to put one foot in front of the other."
Unfortunately, this isn't the first time a person with a disability experienced this type of insensitivity. And with Van Den Borne's response, it's clear how hurtful it can be.
Please SHARE to help spread awareness!
