People around the world have already laughed at Jennifer Knapp Wilkinson for dropping off a scooter in a supermarket. But she does away with the prejudices.
Photo: Jennifer Knapp Wilkinson / Quota
If you look at Jennifer Knapp Wilkinson's picture for the first time, you probably only realize that an overweight woman has slid off an electric vehicle. It looks like she was just too lazy to sit in front of the handle on the shelf, and would have lost her balance. For those who let their prejudices get the upper hand, Jennifer has a strong message. She announces herself after the photo has already left its mark on the Internet, declaring:
If you check out sites like Reddit or Walmart, you probably will find this photo as well.The worst thing about this image is that people think that a fat woman has fallen off an electric scooter because she has to lazy to get up to grab a pallet of lemonade I have a disease called spondylolisthesis, which means one of the bones in my back - one of my vertebrae - has slipped forward. "
In the picture, this is not to see, but Jennifer's illness causes her severe pain. In some people, spondylolisthesis causes them not to stand on their feet for long. So also with Jennifer. She has often fallen because of her illness.
"I'm also severely overweight, which does not make my back problems better, and I've learned that because of my mental illness (Jennifer is depressed and suffering from a personality disorder, editorial note), I use food to cope with my situation daily against my weight and recently joined a gym but my weight is still a problem. "
The photo was taken about five to six years ago. The day she went shopping at the grocery store, Jennifer's pain was particularly strong. She was also worried about her depression. She sat on an electric car to buy for her family. When she reached for the lemonade palette she wanted to buy for her husband, the scooter toppled over. At this very moment someone must have taken a photo.
A few months later, Jennifer realized that the picture was spreading on the Internet at a rapid rate. She is just glad that her face is not visible on it. Nevertheless, she has finally committed to the picture.
"I share this because people think it's funny to make fun of people with disabilities, you can not see my disabilities, but they're there and they're real, so the next time you see a picture of people People who ridicule it, remember that you do not know anything about these people or their everyday problems, it's never just harmless fun to laugh at someone else. "
One thing Jennifer emphasizes at the end of her brave article:
"I would like to clarify: I do not ask that you accept or endorse obesity, obesity is a serious health problem that causes many diseases, and I do not ask people to feel sorry for me, what I want is that I am respected as a person, I am a person - please treat me like one! "
