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Special Needs Family Hurt by Nasty Note Left on Napkin

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A mother in Cobb County, Georgia, says a stranger wrote a nasty note on a napkin accusing her of illegally parking in a spot for people with disabilities.

“You are not handicapped. You are a sorry sack of sh*t,” it read. “Merry Christmas! I have reported your license tag to Cobb Sheriff’s Dept.”

Alyssa Steele told WSB-TV that from the outside, her family of five “looks” healthy, but her 5-year-old daughter, Jemma, has Chiari malformation, a condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal. Symptoms vary but include chronic pain, problems with balance, vision and speech difficulties and weakness in arms.

Steele says the family’s SUV has a handicapped tag, and her daughter was present on the day of the incident.

Despite the hostility, she hopes this becomes an opportunity to raise awareness for invisible illnesses.

“I definitely was hurt and it made me question how people can do something like that,” she told WSB-TV. “I wanted to change the situation from how we are affected by that to how we can spread awareness on how other people are struggling with disabilities that are not seen to the eye.”

h/t Womanista

Originally published: December 28, 2015
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