I am 23 years old and have a terminal illness, diagnosed at birth with a life expectancy of 31.

Like most 23-year-old women, I like to do my hair and make-up most days when I am not too ill to even leave the house, but it seems because of this and that I do not look 'disabled' in the fact that I do not use a wheelchair (unless I am in hospital) or have a walking stick, I am not disabled, according to 90 per cent of people whenever I park and display my badge. If people actually watched me they would see I need to stop or sit down often when walking but why should I sit in a wheelchair all the time to justify using the badge?

Now I appreciate people may get frustrated trying to find a parking space in the city centre or at the supermarket when it is busy, but it won't help in anyway by giving me a dirty look or passing rude or derogatory comments as I get almost every time I park up.

I just want to make it clear I would rather not have to live with the possibility of losing my fight in the next eight years, or having a heart and lung transplant, or the several hospital admissions a year, or daily routine of many tablets and physio, than having the disabled parking badge.

So I would ask people next time you see someone you might not class as 'disabled' just to stop and think of what someone may actually be going through.

NICOLA TURNER, by email