On Air Now
Heart Breakfast with JK and Amanda Holden 6:30am - 10am
Double amputee horrified after being yelled out for parking in a disabled space
25 January 2021, 11:11 | Updated: 25 January 2021, 15:14
Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long has shared her shocking experience to TikTok.
A double amputee woman was shocked to be confronted by an angry woman after she parked in a disabled parking space at the supermarket.
Read more: Mum who accidentally gave her son the wrong name reveals she's torn over what to do
Paralympic champion Jessica Long, who won one gold, three silver, and two bronze medals for swimming at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, shared her shocking experience to TikTok.
Addressing the camera, Jessica, who wears prosthetic legs, said: "So, it just happened again. I was parking my car — and I hope she sees this — this woman just has the nerve to look me up and down disgusted that I parked in the handicapped spot.
"She just kind of rolled down her window and proceeded to be like, 'You shouldn’t park there.'
Read more: The Masked Singer viewers stunned as Bush Baby is finally revealed
Jessica added: "I was just like, 'Okay, I’m an amputee. I don’t have legs. 'That’s why I’m parked in the handicapped spot. That’s why I have the handicapped pass'. And she kind of just drove off."
"This happens a lot. I was never bullied as a kid, and I didn't know that I was going to be bullied by adults."
She added: "I get it. I know I'm young and athletic, but I'm also missing legs. I know I make it look easy, but it's still really hard. My legs are heavy, they hurt me, I'm in pain.
Jessica also urged people to 'just be kind' and reminded them that they didn't need to know why someone is parked in a disabled spot.
The video has been viewed 4.8 million times, and has racked up a number of comments supporting her.
One person wrote: "Adults can be more of a bully than kids", and another added: "That’s why I’m terrified to use my pass, even on pain days."
Jessica was born with a birth defect called fibular hemimelia, and previously told Buzzfeed: "I was missing my fibula bones and several other bones in my lower legs.
"I did have a little foot with three toes on each leg.
"My adoptive parents had those amputated when I was 18 months old so I could be fitted with prosthetic legs and learn to walk."
NOW READ:
UK weather: Met Office issues severe warnings for snow and flooding as temperatures plunge
