Dallas Fowler was just standing in line at Walmart with her son who just wanted a hug.
While picking him up, his shirt lifted, revealing what one shopper thought was disgusting — she screamed.
The hug exposed her 2-year-old son Jameus’ colostomy bag. The shopper labeled Jameus repulsive, and started to harass the family, and asked what was wrong with him.
Fowler and Jameus, wanting to avoid conflict moved to another check-out line.
Jameus has colostomy bags that cover his stomas, which are openings in the abdomen that connect with the colon. Jameus has Hirschsprung’s disease, a chronic colorectal condition. At the age of 2, he had already endured 20 surgeries, with more planned in the future.
While Fowler deflected the women’s tirade in the check-out line, she later took her feelings to Facebook. In the end of the post, she passed along a request that everybody needs to know.
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Here is what she wrote:
Tonight, we were in Walmart standing in a long line waiting to check out.point 239 |
My sweet 2 year old wanted me to hold him.point 33 | As I picked him up out of the cart, his shirt came up exposing his two stomas and bags on his stomach.point 114 | Typically, I have a onesie underneath his shirt but tonight I just got him dressed quickly to run to the store.point 205 |
The onesie helps to keep his bags in one place and makes it harder for him to tug and pull them off.point 79 |
There was an older woman in line behind me who caught a glimpse and shrieked a little before she said to me “why in the world would you let someone do that to him?”point 222 | 1
I turned around speechless and just looked at her before she continued and asked why he had them.point 80 | I gave her the short version and basically said: “his colon didn’t finish forming so he needed them.point 175 | ” I left out that he had a rare disease called Hirschsprung’s disease because I was a little annoyed from her first statement.point 291 |
She then goes “well I am sorry but I just think that is so ‘repulsing’, can you please keep his shirt down?” At this point, I just wanted to shake this woman and scream “what is wrong with you?!” But instead, I told her to have a good night and went to another line.point 249 |
point 0 | 1
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So now I’m sharing this picture because there is nothing repulsive about my son.point 73 | Stomas and ostomies seem to be a taboo when in reality, over 500,000 Americans have one.point 146 | My son’s disease may be rare, but his stomas are not.point 195 |
So here’s a little education for anyone who doesn’t know about stomas and ostomies.point 277 |
A stoma is a surgically created opening that allows a body to expel waste.point 61 | Both of my sons are from his colon, but stomas can be from your ileum (small intestine), or bladder.point 143 | Was this the first choice of a life I would have chosen for my son? Absolutely not.point 210 |
But this was his only shot at life.point 28 | When he was 2 weeks old, his colon ruptured.point 64 | It left him with a life-threatening infection that nearly killed him.point 123 | His stoma saved his life.point 144 | There is a very good chance he will have these for the rest of his life and if he does, it will be my job to teach him a positive body image.point 254 |
(As it’s all parents jobs to do that).point 37 | It will be my job to teach him to love himself, and his bags.point 85 | Had he been a couple years older and been able to understand the ignorance the lady was spewing in line behind us, how much of a negative impact do you think that would have had on him?point 234 | 1
See what that woman doesn’t understand is, when my son is healthy, he is no different than any other 2 year old.point 207 |
He runs, plays, swims and goes to daycare.point 35 | When he’s healthy, you wouldn’t be able to look at him and know he’s had over 20 surgeries and procedures.point 140 | You wouldn’t know that he’s got more ahead in his future.point 199 | You wouldn’t know he gets painful home dilation and irrigation treatments twice a day every day.point 286 |
You wouldn’t know that every day a catheter is put into his stoma to “feed” it stool twice a day in the hopes of growing his colon.point 123 | He’s my heart.point 141 | He is so funny and full of personality.point 173 | He is sweet and loving and kind but also a little ball of fire.point 223 |
point 0 | 1
Please be kind and choose your words wisely, especially should you choose to comment about something that is none of your business.
Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about, and my son is winning his.
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Ending her post with an eye-opening message for all, she begs that people be kind to others.
What do you think about the strange woman? Please tell us what you think in the comment section below. And if you would like to know more about Jameus, visit Go Fund Me.