Woman with chronic pain gets hateful note for parking in handicap spot

SKIATOOK, Okla. (KTUL) -- We all want to be treated with respect and a little human decency,

But that wasn’t the case for one woman, who says she got a hateful note because a stranger jumped to conclusions.

Now, she’s sharing her message that what’s on the outside, isn’t the full story.

Ashley Sartin works at a dispensary in Skiatook.

It’s her first job in three years.

“I have CRPS, complex regional pain syndrome,” she said.

It’s a neurological disease, that she says makes her body feel like it's on fire.

“Most people would never see that talking to me on a daily basis,” Sartin said.

Last week, Sartin parked in a handicap spot at Walmart and ran inside for a few groceries, but when she left she found a hateful note on her car.

A stranger questioned whether she was handicap, and called her lazy.

“He had no idea the burning pain that every step took to get through Walmart,” she said. “Maybe they should think about that next time.”

Police say it happens.

People try to take advantage of parking in handicap spots, even when they don't need to.

Sartin says she isn’t one of those people.

“Not all handicaps are visible,” she said.

She spent months in a wheelchair and was forced to learn to walk again.

“Just to get up and do normal stuff every day, that takes guts,” she said.

Sartin says medical marijuana has helped with the pain and her faith keeps her strong.

“We are supposed to believe the best of others,” she said.

She’s already forgiven whoever wrote the hateful note and she hopes they see this story.

“Let me help you understand how I live my life every day,” she said.

Because from the outside, things look a lot different.