Note Shames Mom, Daughter — But There’s Another Side to This Story

Not only was the writer of this venomous note crazy-judgmental, he or she was also completely wrong. (Photo: Naomi Barringer)

When Naomi Barringer and her 10-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, stopped at a Target store in their suburban Denver neighborhood last Friday, they expected it to be a routine trip to pick up a few things.

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But as the two returned to their van in the store parking lot about five minutes later, they were in for a nasty surprise.

An anonymous typed note had been left on their van windshield, calling them out in strong, accusatory language for parking in a spot reserved for the disabled.

Thinking it was a flier at first, Naomi quickly grabbed it to read. “I was shocked by how mean it was,” Naomi tells Yahoo Parenting. The person who wrote it implied that Naomi was an idiot and lazy, and that she took a spot even though she wasn’t “really handicapped.”

Naomi Barringer and her daughter, Kaitlyn, have something to say to the jerk who left a nasty note on their van windshield. (Photo: Naomi Barringer)

“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,” the note went on.

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“Before you throw this note away, know that I have called in your license plate number to the local police,” it concluded. “Have a great day!”

The cruel note also made Kaitlyn upset. “Because of words like idiot and lazy, my daughter took it personally,” says Naomi. The irony is, not only was the note offensive and vile — but as it turns out, it was completely wrong.

That’s because the Barringers are legally allowed to park in a handicapped spot because Kaitlyn was born with hypophosphatasia, a potentially life-threatening metabolic disorder that makes her bones very soft and prone to fractures.

Because of Kaitlyn’s condition, Naomi’s car has a visible placard dangling off the rearview mirror stating that she can park in a disabled spot.

“I don’t know why this person didn’t see the placard, or maybe because they saw us walk out of the car and we looked healthy, they figured we were faking,” she says.

Kaitlyn does look healthy — she’s a bright, well-spoken 10-year-old who is starting fifth grade this year. But her mom says appearances can be deceiving.

“When Kaitlyn was born, she had 13 bone fractures, and over the course of her life, she’s had more than 30 fractures,” says Naomi. “In fact, we had just come from her physical therapy session, which she attends because she fractured her ankle earlier in the year, which has finally healed.”

Kaitlyn can break a bone just by extending her arm or leg, and her life has been marked by hospital visits and medical procedures. Since her bones are so weak and she is often in pain, parking close to a store entrance is a safety and health issue for her.

Naomi still has no idea who wrote the note. But if she found herself facing the writer, she’d tell them this: “Just because someone doesn’t look disabled, doesn’t mean that they are not,” she says. “If you see us and are curious about why we’re parking in a disabled spot, ask questions, don’t just assume the worst.”

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