“I [sic] was experiencing a lot of pain and weakness that day. I took a cart because I was grocery shopping for my family. I went to get a case of soda for my husband [sic], and I turn and tried to grab a case off the shelf and the cart tipped. I thought I saw a flash of light and heard some young girls giggling.”
Jennifer says she’s used to getting made fun of by people, or hearing chuckles and snide remarks in public, so she didn’t think much of it at the time.
“A few months later, I see this photo on a site making fun of people of Walmart. I have also seen this photo attached to stories that aren’t even true about this situation.”
She says the one thing that helped ease the sting of embarrassment and humiliation was the fact that the photo did not capture her face.
“The reason I am sharing this is because people think it is funny to laugh at people with disabilities. You cannot see my disabilities but they are there and they are real. So next time you see photos making fun of people just remember you know nothing about these people or the struggles they face every day. It is never just harmless fun to laugh at someone.”
Jennifer closed her article with this final plea for compassion and a little human dignity:
Obese people are treated as less than human and as something to ridicule. I just want people to be aware that fat people are people too. I just want to get something clear – I am not asking people to accept or condone obesity. Obesity is a major health problem causing many illnesses and diseases. I also am not asking people to pity or feel sorry for me. What I want is compassion, understanding, and respect as a fellow human being. I am a person. Please treat me like one!