Mom Caring For Son With Terminal Illness Finds Nasty Note On Car
She said she was more upset than angry at the pure ignorance of the act
A mom of a child with a terminal illness was coming out of the hospital, a trip she’s probably taken hundreds of times. But this time she was met with a cruel note on her car’s windshield — a note that “broke her” for its complete ignorance and assumption about something they knew nothing about.
Mom Emma Doherty shared a picture of a note left for her after she parked in an accessible spot at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, where she was taking her son to an appointment. “You lazy conning b-tch,” the note read. “You did not have a disabled person with you! These spaces are reserved for people who need them!!!”
Doherty posted the note on her Facebook page, saying she was more upset than angry at the stranger because of his complete ignorance on the matter. “How dare you ever accuse anyone of not needing a disabled badge without knowing,” she wrote. “I wish you had the balls to say this to my face and I would of told you (even tho I don’t need to explain myself to the likes of you) but id of happily said why I have a badge.”
She went on to tell the heartbreaking story of her three-year-old son Bobby, who has had over 15 operations in his short life, including, “3 open hearts, 2 stomach, lung and diaphragm and countless artery stenting operations and spent half his life on intensive care,” she said. “He’s had 2 strokes and was paralysed, brain damaged and has a spine and hip condition aswell as a massive heart condition.”
Doherty said although her son doesn’t “look disabled” he very much needs (and deserves) to park in a accessible spot. “For your information not everyone who holds a blue badge needs to have a wheelchair!” she wrote. “NOT ALL DISABILITIES ARE VISABLE and I hope you regret doing this and learn your lesson!”
We’ve all seen people park in accessible spots and thought maybe they don’t look like they should be parking there. And while there may be people who take advantage, Doherty’s story is such a powerful reminder that we have no idea what another person is going through. Assuming we know better can be a dangerous and cruel thing.
Doherty told the Sun UK that she does have a blue badge to park there and it even has Bobby’s picture on it clearly visible in her car. “It’s such a cowardly thing to do. They must have seen the badge and still decided to put the note on,” she said.
The single mom said she’s received stares and whispers before as she and her son walk from the spot to the hospital and assumed one day someone would say something. “I’ve sat through things nobody should see but why did your note break me? Because it’s your pure ignorance towards others,” she said. “I’m a single mum trying my best to hold it together for my son who’s in and out if hospital.”
