When Justine Van Den Borne read the rude note, she tried her best to act as if it hadn’t affected her. But she couldn’t take it any longer. She took a photo of the note and wrote an open letter to the person that had left the piece of paper in her car windshield.
“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.” What made Justine so appalled that day?
How Dare They?
We’ve seen plenty of cars parked bad or in the wrong places. It was even more appalling when we saw people park their cars in spots for disabled persons.
But this was a good time to act and find justice for the disabled. The message should teach them a lesson. But instead of doing so, the author of that note may have learned a more valuable lesson that day…
Out For a Walk
For Justine, walking was a challenge she would gladly take. She loved spending time with her family and friends, and attending all the important events.
She dreaded thinking about her condition and how it would affect her in the next years…
Shopping
Justine was out shopping at the Mitcham Shopping Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She saw a piece of paper in the windscreen of her car and thought that someone may have bumped into her car and left a note.
But as he picked up the note, her face went livid. Her car was all right, but her mood got worse.
Who Is Justine?
Ms. Van Den Borne, 47, lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and two kids.
She had no idea that on the day she took that photo and posted it online, her story would immediately make her famous!
It Was Viral!
The post with the note Justine saw in her windshield is from 2015, and she said that she was truly “overwhelmed by the response. Unfortunately, 5 years on this is clearly still an issue...”
Here’s what was wrong with the note…
Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis
When she was 35, Justine was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a condition in which the immune system attacks its own nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.
The disease leads to complications such as muscle spasms, paralysis in legs, mental changes and other symptoms. Fortunately for Justine, she was still walking.
Don’t Ruin Their Day
“Before you ruin another persons’ 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.”
Justine’s post went viral, and the message she shared has not only inspired others suffering from MS, but has also educated a lot of people that were not aware of this condition’s symptoms.
Justine Parked Her Car At the Shopping Center
That day, Justine and her daughter went shopping. People suffering from MS get a disabled persons parking permit, and Justine had it in the window.
So, she parked her car close to the entrance and went about her day. When she returned, she saw this note…
Did You Forget Something?
The note said: “Did you forget your wheelchair???” We all know it’s rude to park in the spots for disabled persons, but it’s wrong to assume they’re faking it just because they’re not in a wheelchair.
Justine wrote a letter for that person that left her the note, and we hope they saw the message!
Never Goes Away
“To 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,” wrote Justine.
She explained how her future has been changed ever since she found out about her condition and her kids have “to deal with things that kids shouldn't ever have to deal with.”
Having a Good Day
Justin continued her message, explaining how she was having a good day with her daughter until she saw the note. “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,” said Justine. Then, she said this thing that brought tears in our eyes…
Not Having to Be Pushed
“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 friends’ wedding next September and not have to be pushed. I will be 42.”
Fortunately for Justine, five years passed and she is still walking. However, she taught everyone a few life lessons.
Strong
First, Justine taught us that you’ve got to be strong and believe in yourself, even though the odds are against you. Then, she taught us this…
“I’ll say it again; 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. And yes I did walk into my best friends’ wedding.” In an interview with The Age, she explained how it feels to live with MS.
The Wrong Thing
“Because of my age, they look at me, and automatically presume I’m doing the wrong thing. But actually I can’t carry my own shopping, can’t walk long distance, I have the bladder of an 80-year-old,” Justine told The Age.
In an interview with The Independent, CEO of Disability Rights UK Liz Sayce agreed that “we are living in a culture of suspicion towards people whose disability is not immediately obvious.”
A Disease
Sayce asked us to imagine we had a heart disease or MS “being able to walk only a short distance, and being treated as a potential fraudster when you dare to park in a disabled parking bay.”
She notes that in the UK, only 1.2 million disabled people use wheelchairs out of a total of 11 million disabled people, and we should end the prejudice.
Good Intentions
Maybe that person had the best intentions, but they should have worked on their wording or probably just address Justine in person and not be rude.
Friends and family reached out to Justine and told her they wished the “person who wrote this letter sees this post one day.”
Be Respectful
Other people believed that the person should have found a different way to ask a question and be respectful.
“People can ask questions in a respectful way. Not hurtful notes.” Here’s another woman that went through a similar experience. Her name is Lauren Rowe and she's an extraordinary young lady!
Struggling to Breathe
Imagine taking breaths and feeling as if someone is pushing a pillow on your face. That’s exactly how Lauren Rowe feels like every day!
At 30 years old, Lauren is a miracle because with her condition, the average life span is at around 44 years. But even so, she is unstoppable!
Just a Baby
Lauren was born with cystic fibrosis and has developed diabetes and osteoporosis as years passed. The condition crippled her respiratory system and even as she is sitting, she breathes with only 30% of her lung capacity.
Taking a walk leaves her short of breath and only a double lung transplant helped her improve her condition. That was until her body’s immune system rejected the organs… So what note did she find left in her car’s windshield?
To The Movies
Lauren was 26 when she went with her friends at a movie theatre in Campbelltown, in Sydney's west. She parked her car and after getting out, she headed to the lift. Then, she saw someone looking at her..
“I did see you death stare me as I walked from the car to the lift with my friend and looked the other way because tonight was the first night I have been out in a long time and was excited to go to the movies with my friends without thinking about the darkness of my reality,” wrote Lauren in a message on Facebook addressed to the person that left her that message.
The Message
Although this note didn’t inquire about the lack of a wheelchair, the message was the same.
It was as if the person was appalled that someone with a disability can look normal and smile. Here’s what the message said.
Acknowledged
“To the 2 young women who parked here and walked off – your lack of consideration is acknowledged. Well done,” said the note that had been probably written after Lauren went inside the lift.
Lauren said that “unfortunately, this is not the first judgment made against me from using a disabled sticker. I have it for the days I struggle to breathe.”
An Invisible Illness
For Lauren and all cystic fibrosis patients, this is an invisible illness that can cause “great mental strain as we come to terms with our abilities and sometimes even doubt ourselves of what we can and can not do,” she said.
The young woman suggested that the person that left the note should have approached her. Maybe Lauren would have educated the woman on her situation.
Turning 30
Now Lauren has turned 30 and she jokes that she’s a senior “as I’ve got cystic fibrosis, turning 30 means I’m practically a senior now, except I’m lacking the saggy boobs and the good discounts.”
“I do lots of hours worth of nebulisers and treatments, and that’s just to keep myself alive,” she added.
An Inspiration
Lauren is an inspiration to all of us, and she keeps on stunning everyone. She has a YouTube account and educates everyone about the chronic illnesses people have.
Although it takes a lot of time to film a video since she cannot properly breathe, Lauren is doing her best to give voice to this invisible illness.
Chronic Illness
Plenty of people suffering from chronic illness have a permit for parking in the disabled persons’ spots.
Victoria Teresa wrote that she is going through the same thing every day and she just walks off “ignoring them and it frustrates them even more. Chronic illness life!”
Don’t Judge
We have to learn not to judge others, added Debbie Baratta, because “not every disability is outwardly visible.”
“People shouldn’t judge on what they don’t know unless they have walked in someone else’s shoes,” she concluded.
A Valuable Lesson
Lauren and Justine’s stories went viral soon after posting them. We’ve learned a valuable lesson and we hope it raised awareness about these illnesses that cripple people who are trying their best to lead a normal life.
We should all be considerate and stop judging others before knowing the truth about someone.