A Virginia mother of two “unlocked” a new fear after her toddler got her fingers stuck in the holes of a Target shopping cart.
Emily McMaugh took her two children to the store, while her three-year-old sat in the cart and her youngest daughter sat in the seat.
When it was time to leave, the older child told her mother that she was “stuck.” By the time Emily realized what was happening, she was already in the parking lot.
The panicked mother rushed back into the store for help, but Emily and Target employees had no luck trying to free the toddler’s hand.
“We tried Vaseline, but that didn’t work,” Emily said People magazine. ‘The fire brigade literally had to cut their fingers off the wagon.’
‘I’m a young mother with young children, and I’ve never heard of this happening. I didn’t even think it was possible.’
Emily praised her daughter for keeping her cool during the 25-minute ordeal – only to panic when paramedics had to cut open the shopping trolley to remove her hand.
Although the child was unharmed, Emily said she was “very stressed” and had to call her husband to meet them at the store.
Emily shared the shocking situation to raise awareness and warn other parents that their children could get their fingers stuck in a shopping cart
Emily McMaugh said she ‘unlocked’ a new fear when her three-year-old son got stuck in a Target shopping cart
“She doesn’t speak full sentences yet, so I’m sure it hurt, but she couldn’t really tell me what she was feeling,” Emily said, expressing concern for her daughter.
Emily posted photos of her child’s fingers being stuck and the first responders helping her out of the cart on TikTok to “spread awareness” to other parents.
She noted that Target staff handled the situation well — even giving the child a cake pop to cheer her up — but she attacked the cart’s design in her incident report.
“I wrote that maybe they should change the shopping cart layout so this doesn’t happen. Apparently it happens more than you would think,” she told People.
In the original TikTok, Emily wrote: “New fear unlocked… be careful with your little ones and shopping carts.”
Emily disabled comments on the post, but said people shared mixed reactions before she deleted them.
She told People that some viewers were rude to her, while others told similar stories.
‘I’ll never do it again,’ Emily claimed.’
Paramedics had to cut the shopping cart to free the child’s fingers from the small hole
After the shocking turn of events, people on Facebook were mainly concerned about the child’s well-being. They also made sure to check in with Emily.
‘I’m so sorry she had to go through this!!! (And you too!) Hugs,” one person wrote.
Another commenter said: ‘Oh my god. I’m so glad she’s doing well, and you are too.’
“How scary for both of you!” a woman added.
This isn’t the first time Target shopping carts have been criticized.
An Arizona mother recently called Target’s shopping cart a “redesign.”
Ashley Darling posted a review of the new shopping carts in September, pointing out features she considered lacking.
The new carts Ashley discussed feature cup holders and trays near the child seats.
Emily said the situation was handled well, but she suggested Target change the design of their carts to prevent this from happening again
She said the placement of the cup holder made it too easy for her toddler to reach for her iced coffee.
The furious mother also claimed that a tray with small holes in it was a ‘lawsuit’ because children could easily stick their fingers in it – just like Emily’s child did.
“You can definitely tell they didn’t consult a single mother when redesigning these carts,” Ashley said in a TikTok.
“You see these little holes [in the tray]? They are the perfect size for toddlers where their fingers can get stuck.”