'I was rammed by someone while using my wheelchair on a cruise - it was a disability hate crime'

Wendi Fletcher, 54, who has Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis, was 'rammed' by idiosyncratic portion connected a cruise, contempt utilizing a wheelchair and the woman knowing astir her condition

Looking retired astatine the skyline earlier the cruise vessel near the larboard from Malta, Wendi Fletcher, 54, was excited to research Europe with her husband. But conscionable hours into their Mediterranean cruise, a rider overshadowed Wendi's holiday, leaving her feeling 'gobsmacked' and successful tears.

Wendi, who was diagnosed with RRMS (Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis) - a benignant of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) - successful 2019, has ever had a emotion of exploring caller places, having backpacked crossed the world with her husband, Tony, 55, erstwhile they were younger and present regularly jets disconnected for sun-soaked getaways oregon connected 1 of their favourites, a cruise.

Due to her RRMS, Wendi faces regular struggles with walking, which she finds "more and much difficult" portion dealing with near limb heaviness and on-and-off blurred vision. On apical of this, she tin besides endure from facial numbness astatine times, truthful a cruise is 1 of the champion ways to alteration the mum-of-one, to Katie, 23, to question freely astir antithetic countries.

In April 2024, Wendi and her husband, who person been connected galore cruises implicit the years, excitedly boarded the vessel from Malta to task done the Mediterranean. During a cruise, Wendi volition instrumentality a self-propelled wheelchair, on with a walking instrumentality from Cool Crutches and an elbow crutch to assistance assistance her mobility, depending connected however she is feeling connected the day.

However, erstwhile she was utilizing her wheelchair arsenic a walking assistance connected time 1 of the cruise, she was shockingly "rammed" by different passenger. She exclusively told the Mirror, "I was walking with my wheelchair, and arsenic I got into a lift, determination were 3 radical already successful the lift. It was a parent and daughter, and I presume the antheral with them was her husband.

"I deliberation this pistillate was having a truly atrocious day. She said consecutive distant arsenic I got into the lift, 'You've conscionable deed my 90-year-old mother'. She suggested that I'd wheeled my wheelchair successful and pushed it into her mother, but I 100% knew that I hadn't touched her mum.

Wendi, from Manchester, rapidly explained to the pistillate that she had a disablement but said the pistillate "threw her caput backmost and did this large drama laugh." Wendi explained that the pistillate past proceeded to propulsion her wheelchair into her, knocking her disconnected balance.

"I explained I person Multiple Sclerosis and conflict with my balance', but she said she didn't attraction and that if she sees maine astir the vessel again, she'll propulsion maine again."

After the ordeal, Wendi, who describes herself arsenic a no-nonsense benignant of person, was near stunned by the encounter. "I didn't accidental thing to her due to the fact that I was truthful shocked and taken aback. I past went backmost to my compartment and cried. I felt ridiculous, and past I was annoyed astatine myself for crying."

Wendi added, "To me, that's an battle connected a disabled person. She knew afloat good astir my disability, and I explained that to her. I see that to beryllium a disablement hatred crime. I was truly upset astir it and virtually gobsmacked that she would beryllium similar that.

"I can't archer you however overmuch I'm not this idiosyncratic normally, but honestly, I was disquieted astir bumping into her again. I wanted to beryllium with my husband, but I didn't privation to beryllium by myself successful lawsuit I saw her.

Wendi admitted that the lawsuit ruined her vacation tone for a while. "It dampened the travel and near maine feeling susceptible erstwhile I was connected the ship."

"I've benignant of erased it from a memory; it had specified an impact."

Thankfully, it hasn't enactment Wendi disconnected travelling with plans already successful the premix for 2025, including a cruise.

Before getting her RRMS successful 2019, Wendi experienced assorted symptoms, including blurred vision, subtly losing her equilibrium and adjacent tiny things similar "looking up successful the ablution and choking connected water." But Wendi said things came to a caput erstwhile her near limb became dense portion driving. "I was driving the car, and my near limb got truthful dense that I couldn't alteration gears properly.

"After that, I didn't person large power implicit my near arm, and my imaginativeness became precise blurred, I besides had little backmost pain." After this, Wendi got her imaginativeness checked by the opticians which led to a missive to her GP and eventually, her RRMS diagnosis.

"I felt relieved that I had answers to the mode I was feeling, and initially, it was truthful overwhelming. It's a life-changing diagnosis. It tin beryllium truly difficult, but I've besides had a affirmative mindset and the tools to header with that."

In a bid to dispersed consciousness and her day-to-day experiences, Wendi shares her travel connected her TikTok and YouTube page nether Wobbly Wendi. She has besides collaborated with Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks.