In a world where our every move can be captured and uploaded online in a matter of mere seconds, it’s worth being reminded of how harmful our words can be.
This was the case for mum Jennifer Knapp Wilkinson, who became the subject of a cruel internet joke after a photo of her involved in an accident, in Walmart, was shared online.
Writing on Indy100, Jennifer shared her experience with physical and mental illness, and recalled the truth behind that photo, shared on the likes of Reddit and People of Walmart.
Jennifer suffers from a spinal condition called spondylolisthesis, whereby a vertebra slips out of place. In her case, ‘the longer she stands, the more numb and weak her legs become’.
She also suffers with mental illness and ‘has learned to use eating as a way to cope’. And, despite recently joining a gym, Jennifer struggles with her weight.
“The worst thing about this photo is that people think a fat woman tipped over a cart because she was too lazy to get out of the cart to get the case of soda,” she wrote.
Here’s what really happened: “I was at a very low point in my mental health. I also was experiencing a lot of pain and weakness that day. I took a cart because I was grocery shopping for my family. I went to get a case of soda for my husband…I turned and tried to grab a case off the shelf, and the cart tipped.”
Just after her fall, Jennifer noted ‘a flash of light’ and ‘some young girls giggling’, but she didn’t realise the gravity of the situation until, a few months later, she found a photo of her accident on a website mocking Walmart customers.
Now, not only does Jennifer want to stand up for herself, but she wants people to think before they hurt others with their cruel words.
“The reason I am sharing this is because people think it is funny to laugh at people with disabilities. You cannot see my disabilities, but they are there and they are real. So, next time you see photos making fun of people, just remember: you know nothing about these people or the struggles they face every day,” she wrote.
“Obese people are treated as less than human and as something to ridicule. I just want people to be aware that fat people are people too,” she added.
