Mom calls out stranger who complained about her disabled daughter on flight
On Aug. 13, Nicola Colenso was on a flight from Ibiza to Manchester with her 8-year-old daughter when her daughter began to have a meltdown. Colenso’s daughter has a number of disabilities — including autism and epilepsy — and was not feeling her best that day.
While trying to console her, Colenso was shocked when another passenger began yelling at her and telling her to “shut that child up.”
“Dear Lady on the Manchester bound flight from Ibiza yesterday,” Colenso wrote in a Facebook post, which has since gone viral. “We are sorry our daughter stopped you from getting your beauty sleep but clearly she was having a meltdown and was not feeling 100%.”
“As you felt the need to turn round and ask us to ‘shut that child up !’ This didn’t help her anxiety levels or ours in trying to manage the situation.”
Colenso claimed she explained the situation to the woman, and even suggested she ask if she could be moved in order to no longer be disturbed by the child.
“This resulting in you repeating that you were ‘sick of the noise and can’t you just shut her up!’ You continued to be abusive and publicly called her Daddy a ‘PRICK’ in front of her and her other 3 siblings.”
Understanding the great reach of social media, Colenso decided to post the story on Facebook in the hopes that it would get back to the woman so that she could understand the impact of her outburst.
“Your behaviour and outburst was not helpful what so ever in helping to calm down our daughter’s anxiety,” she says. “I hope social media helps for this post to find you to let you know that same little 8 year old girl ended up being taken to hospital by ambulance that evening as she became seriously unwell.”
So far, the post has been shared more than 112,000 times with close to 4,000 comments.
Many expressed their disapproval about the woman’s actions.
“This is disgusting behaviour. Hope the little girl is doing better now,” said Jennifer Smith.
Others called for greater action.
“When you are on a plane the cabin crew and the authorities own you. All she had to do was report the matter to the cabin crew who could have have had her arrested on arrival. That would have seriously ruined her day!” suggested Darren Parry.
“I would of started screaming singing and shouting!! Made her flight a one to remember!! Thoughtless people are every where!! I find making more noise than your children is a skill and frowned on more that a child been a child!! !! Idiots!!” said Sharon Collins.
But some also suggested that Colenso was just as bad as the woman for taking her picture and sharing it socially.
“I would say the fact the mum felt the need to post on social media and take a picture to shame this woman suggests she maybe wasn’t as ‘polite’ as she thought,” said Alison Ess.
“Putting up a picture of the girl on social media so people can attack her honestly is worse than what she did. Yeah it is honestly terrible your child went into hospital and I hope she’s OK. The girl has the right to have peace on her flight, and kids on planes at the best of times are very difficult to deal with. No the girl shouldn’t have said certain things but she was clearly pissed off the staff should have intervened. You are entitled to have a kid on a plane but she is equally entitled to peace,” said Cheryl Conway.
What do you think? Let us know by tweeting to @YahooStyleCA.
