Very often, people who don’t seem to fit in what is considered ‘normal’ by the society get judged and are made fun of by others and that is the sad face of humanity.
Back in 2012, a woman named Jennifer Knapp Wilkinson got involved in an accident that made her a meme and a subject of humiliation.
Despite the number of years that passed by, she is still affected by the photo of her fall from a wheelchair at a grocery store that went viral overnight.
Namely, Wilkinson was overweight, and it wasn’t her fault entirely. She had been experiencing severe pain in her spine which prevented her from having much physical activity and that added to her weight. Her disease made her body weak, especially her legs. She had also been experiencing difficulties maintaining balance and was struggling with depression.
At the time the viral photo was taken, Wilkinson was at a supermarket, using a wheelchair to navigate around. At one point, she reached towards a pack of juice for her husband, but she fell out of the wheelchair.
Sadly, instead of helping her stand on her feet and asking if she was okay, someone snapped a photo of her which they later shared online.
Many people took their time to comment on the photo which showed this woman in a state of helplessness. Sadly, they didn’t feel sorry for her. Instead, they made fun of her weight. That crushed her, but it also made her aware that she was in need of a change that would make her life a bit easier.
Wilkinson says she gained ‘fame’ with the embarrassing photo of her, and she wants to spread a message that obesity is a disease.
“These are my 15 minutes of fame. You’ve probably seen the picture. The worst thing about it is that she makes people think that a fat woman falls out of a stroller because she is too lazy to get out of the stroller to get the juice she wants to buy,” she said.
“I do not ask anyone to accept obesity, this is a problem that triggers many other diseases. At the same time, I do not ask anyone to feel sorry for me or to feel sorry for me.
“What I want is compassion, understanding, and respect for another human being. I am a person – please treat me as such! ”
She is now trying to live healthy, but with all the health issues she is facing, that’s not really easy.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace