A misplaced purse in the baby section of a Target has led to moms across the country anonymously buying gift cards or leaving cash in baby items. It happened when Denaesha Gonzalez saw that 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 said.
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. See it below.
“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.”
The hashtag #shedeservedthepurse challenge took off last week when mom influencer Cecily Bauchman told her 2 million followers that Gonzalez’s video inspired her. She posted a vlog of her buying a $100 Target gift card. On the back of the receipt she wrote, “Hey! You deserve that special ‘you’ thing. You are amazing!” She slipped the gift card and note in a package of Huggies diapers.
The overwhelming response in the comments were from moms expressing the same sentiment — that they often neglect themselves. “As a mom who puts stuff back all the time to get stuff for my babies … this made me tear up,” one comment read. “I was a struggling mom of 4. I’m in a better position to pay it forward now. Doing this Thursday on my day off!” another mom wrote.