By Amber Ferguson
September 23, 2024 at 5:37 p.m. EDT

Moms across the country are anonymously buying gift cards or leaving cash in baby items at Target and Walmart stores because Denaesha Gonzalez saw a misplaced purse.

The Nashville mom was with her 2-year-old son in her local Target this month when she noticed a familiar sight — a silver clutch handbag that retails for $20 misplaced on the shelf of the baby aisle. To the 28-year-old, this meant something deeper: A mom with a young child sacrificed something she wanted to buy something for her baby.

“I’ve found myself several times wishing I could get something but couldn’t. I’ve gone through seasons of lack where we could only afford just the essential things,” Gonzalez told The Washington Post in a Zoom interview.

She posted a 17-second video with the text: SHE DESERVED THE PURSE with the sound of a woman exhaling, in the hopes that maybe it would resonate with other mothers. Her video has since gone viral with more than 20 million views. It also has inspired people to hide money in diaper boxes and formula containers to allow a mom who is struggling to buy something for herself.
“I haven’t had my hair done in years. My nails done in years. My clothes come from Walmart. We can’t afford childcare,” one mother wrote under Gonzalez’s video. “But my babies have what they need. One day, I’ll have the purse, just not today.”
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Gift article:
https://wapo.st/3zY5k24
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/09/23/she-deserved-purse-mothers-tiktok/