Colorado mom Naomi Barringer and her ten-year-old daughter, Kaitlynn, returned to their van after shopping at a Denver area Target, only to discover a cruel note on the windshield berating them for 'illegally' taking up a handicapped parking spot.
In the neatly typed letter, the anonymous author said Kaitlynn and Naomi were 'lazy' and 'idiots,' and excoriated the pair for forcing people who are 'truly handicapped' to park farther away from the store.
Little Kaitlynn is in fact suffering from a rare genetic condition called hypophosphatasia - a chronic, potentially life-threatening metabolic disorder that makes her bones soft and brittle.
Any casual gesture, like walking or extending her arm or leg could potentially result in a fracture, and she has been in and out of hospitals all her life.
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This callous note was left on the windshield of Naomi Barringer's van outside a Denver Target
Ten-year-old Kaitlynn Barringer (pictured in a vehicle and in hospital) suffers from hypophosphatasia - a rare genetic condition that causes her bones to break and leaving her in near-constant pain
Naomi Barringer, pictured with her daughter Kaitlynn, has a disability placard prominently displayed in her van
The family say they need to park close to store entrances because every step Kaitlynn takes could potentially result in a fracture
She told 9News she had been shocked by the note. 'I really didn't know people thought of me like that' she said. 'I am disabled and they may not know that, and I can understand that because I do look normal.’
At birth, Kaitlynn had more than a dozen fractures, and over the years she has suffered 17 more broken bones, leaving her in near-constant pain.
According to the family’s GoFundMe page for Kaitlynn, she has a wide array of medical problems, including muscle weakness, seizures, kidney problems, difficulty breathing and skin sensitivity.
The brave little girl also has been diagnosed with a neurological condition that causes degeneration of the white matter in her brain.
Ms Barringer’s van prominently displays a disability placard on the rear view mirror.
However, the person behind the callous note shaming the mother and daughter for parking in a reserved spot clearly knew nothing of the fifth-grader’s complicated medical history.
'Greetings!' read the three-paragraph letter typed on a white sheet of paper. 'I observed you parking in this handicap parking place today. It appears that you are not really handicap. Perhaps just in a hurry or worse, just plain lazy.
'In case you don't know, these spots are reserved for people who are truly handicapped and because of idiots like you, they have to park farther away or not be able to come here at all.
Brave Kaitlynn, now a fifth-grader, has been in and out of hospitals her entire life
The Colorado girl often suffers from muscle weakness, seizures, kidney problems, and skin sensitivity
Kaitlynn, seen her undergoing yet another medical test, said she was hurt and offended by the note
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The letter concluded with a warning: ‘Before you throw this note away, know that I have called in your license plate number to the local police. Have a great day!’
Speaking to Yahoo Parenting, Naomi said she thought the note was just a flyer at first, and added: 'I was shocked by how mean it was.'
Kaitlynn said: 'I was offended, I was hurt actually.
'I am disabled and they may not know that, and I can understand that because I do look normal.’
In May, Kaitlynn had plates and screws placed in her left femur, leaving her wheelchair-bound for more than a month and in need of physical therapy.
She offered this message to the author of the note: 'Just because someone doesn't look disabled, doesn't mean that they are not.'
At birth, Kaitlynn had more than a dozen fractures. Over the years, she has suffered 17 more broken bones
Any casual gesture, like extending her arm or leg, could result in a fracture. In May, Kaitlynn had plates and screws placed in her left femur
Her message: Kaitlynn said she wants the author of the anonymous note to know that just because some people do not look disabled, it does not mean they are not
Sweet Kaitlyn's Journey
Note shames mother for using disability parking spot
Note Shames Mom, Daughter - But There’s Another Side to This Story
Mother, disabled daughter, 10, shamed for parking in handicapped spot
Start your own handicap parking application at the website given here.
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