Jessica said her initial reaction when people shame her for parking in handicap spots is always hurt. “I get it, I don’t ‘look’ handicapped, but what does that even mean?! I’ve been through more surgeries than I can count. My whole life I’ve had to adapt. I rely on my handicap pass. Every day is different… some days my legs don’t hurt as bad, but for the most part, they cause me pain. So, when I park in a handicapped spot, I actually need it. There are some people who will abuse handicap parking, but mostly I believe people need it.”
The woman whose video already has 4.2 million views was born with a birth defect called fibular hemimelia
650K people follow Jessica on TikTok and 57,000 on Instagram. It’s undeniable that she’s making an impact helping to reshape the way society sees disabled people. “I think people are afraid to ask questions because society says it’s rude, but a lot of times that translates to shame around the topic of disabilities,” she said. “I absolutely love sharing my story and journey with the world. I hope to educate how amputees use their prosthetic legs. We make it look easy and it’s a natural part of our everyday lives, but it’s also hard and can be painful.”
“I was missing my fibula bones and several other bones in my lower legs,” she told BuzzFeed. “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”
