Mother writes a bold letter to those who 'judge my 5-year-old for using a stroller': 'I am fed up with it'
To say that life is hard for people with disabilities in this world is just another form of prejudice imposed by many in society.. A mom was forced to take a stand for her 5-year-old daughter, who used a stroller at times as she suffered from Joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS). JHS often runs in families and cannot be prevented. The condition has no known cure, but one can use pain medications and work with a general physician and a physiotherapist to get better. While many people might experience pain due to their condition, others might not have any symptoms, as per NHS UK. On outings, the mom and the daughter experienced judgment from strangers who did not know the kid was in pain. After a point, the mom felt exhausted and decided to address the stares and comments once and for all in an open letter, per The Mighty.
The letter by the mom, Rachel Bitmead, was titled, "To Those Who Judge My 5-Year-Old for Using a Stroller." She began, "This open letter is to all of you who have looked and judged my daughter over the last few days — looking, frowning at her, those little whispers behind my back thinking I can’t hear you." She encouraged people to come and talk to her and ask her why her daughter was using a stroller she was "too big" for, instead of whispering behind her back and looking at the girl with judgmental stares.
"When she walks more than usual or when it’s too hot, she has pain in her lower body. Her legs, ankles and feet are very painful." So, the family had to carry a stroller whenever they went outside. The mom couldn't just pick her daughter up because that was difficult on her back and the girl didn't have enough strength in her legs to put them around her mom after walking for a certain distance. The girl was supposed to take pain and anti-inflammatory medication to help her until her pain got better. The daughter didn't need to use the stroller at all times either.
"She has gone an entire year without needing it, but since our holiday she has walked too much and over-exerted herself." The woman wished she had taken the stroller with her on the holiday because her husband, Mr. B (name changed for privacy reasons), had to carry the girl around a lot of times after her feet started hurting. The mom often asked her little girl about her legs when they were outside. "How are your feet are feeling? Has the pain medication helped yet? Hopefully you’ll be walking around again in no time," were her usual questions. She did that to indirectly explain to strangers why her daughter was using a stroller, so they wouldn't judge her.
She admitted that she was "fed up" with doing it now. "I am fed up with it. So the next time you see a child in a stroller and think he or she looks 'too old' to be in it, don’t judge or assume the child or parent is lazy," the mom firmly remarked. She added, "Don’t whisper behind the parent’s back or frown at either of them." There is no reason for people to care about an older child using a stroller and they might have a good reason for it, the mom pointed out. "From a fed-up mom with a daughter who can’t walk at the moment without being in pain," the letter ended.