41-year old Justine Van Den Borne was having a good time with her daughter when they spotted a note on her car windshield that says “Did you forget your wheelchair?”. She was parked in a handicapped parking spot when the incident happened, little did that person who gave her the rude letter know that Justine was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Multiple Sclerosis is a condition that can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms, including problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation, or balance.
On Facebook she posted her response to the rude letter she got, and it has gone viral with people commenting on it showing their support to Justine.
“To the person that left this on my car last week at Mitcham Shopping Centre – I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was 35. Not just MS but the worst one that never goes away and is slowly crippling my life. My kids have had to deal with the things that kids shouldn’t ever have to deal with and all of our futures are forever changed.”
Just because people can’t see it doesn’t mean it does not exist. People are so quick to judge her, they didn’t even know her whole story. She often uses a stick to help her walk but she will soon use a wheelchair next year. Because of her illness, she cannot work. She was a receptionist before but now she only receives a disability support pension.
Justine added that she did not want people to feel sorry for her, she just want everyone to understand others and their stories and to never ever judge a book by its cover.
If you were in Justine’s shoes, how will you handle the situation? I commend Justine for being such a strong woman. We have no idea how hard it is for her to fight her illness, the only thing we can do is show our compassion and humanity to people around us. We don’t know what battles they are fighting for so it is always a must to just be kind.