A mum has spoken out about the day her daughter was made fun of because of her disability. But it’s how both the mum and her little girl dealt with the incident that has simultaneously moved us and made us say, “You go girls!”
US Mum Sarah Orsborn’s four-year old daughter Claire has spina bifida, and has to wear a nappy. So she was crushed when some older children who live in her neighbourhood said they didn’t want to play with her because her nappy wasn't “cool”.
“Those big girls said my diaper isn’t cool and that they don’t want to hang out with me because they don’t want to hang out with babies who wear diapers,” her mum wrote on her blog The Adventures of Ernie Bufflo. “Can I please wear some undies? I want them to hang out with me.”
Devastated, Sarah pulled on her slippers and decided to go outside to talk to the girls – who took flight and ran as soon as they saw the upset mum.
But when she caught up with them and asked if she could speak to them, one replied, “We’re so sorry, we got carried away, we know what we said was rude, and we’re sorry.”
“It was unkind,” she said, “But I want to tell you something you don’t know about Claire. Claire was born with a disability called spina bifida. She had a great big hole in her back, and she had to have surgery when she was only one day old. Claire is actually amazing. Claire is one of the strongest people I know. People said she wouldn’t be able to walk and now she walks, and runs, and ride bikes out here with you. Claire is AMAZING. And she wears diapers because of her spina bifida, and NO ONE should ever make fun of her for that, because Claire is amazing.”
The girls both apologised right away, and promised Sarah they would say sorry to Claire when she came back out. Shortly afterwards, the mum sent her daughter out to play again.
But it was that night Sarah learned that while she will always defend her child, Claire decided she was going to fight her own corner.
“I’m going to go talk to those girls and tell them I didn’t like what they said,” she said.
“She is still one of the strongest people I know,” Sarah wrote. “She stands up for herself. And I will always stand up for her too.”
Wow, SO powerful. We can’t help come over a little emotional at Sarah's words, and we're sure those little girls will think twice before they make fun of a child with a disability again.
