It was an ordinary day for DeNaesha Gonzalez as she navigated the baby aisle of her local Target in Nashville, Tenn., with her 2-year-old son. But what she found wasn’t quite as ordinary — a sparkly silver clutch purse, with a $20 price tag, misplaced between diaper boxes and baby wipes.
For most shoppers, it would have been something they wouldn’t think twice about, but for Gonzalez, the purse told a deeper story. “To me, it was a symbol,” the 28-year-old mom said. “I knew another mother had left it behind, making a choice to buy something for her baby instead of treating herself.” That small, unnoticed act of sacrifice resonated with Gonzalez on a personal level.
I’ve been that mom who has to put things back on the shelf because we could only afford the essentials,” she added.
Moms are leaving gift cards in diaper packages to help struggling mothers out. Photo from TikTok
Moved by the moment, Gonzalez posted a short, 17-second TikTok video of the purse with the caption: SHE DESERVED THE PURSE. The video quickly went viral, getting more than 22 million views and sparking a flood of emotional comments from fellow moms who related all too well to the sacrifices they make every day.
“I haven’t had my hair done in years. My clothes come from Walmart. We can’t afford childcare, but my babies have what they need,” one mom wrote under the video. “One day, I’ll have the purse, just not today.”
The sentiment touched hearts across the platform, leading to the creation of the hashtag #SheDeservedThePurse. Moms everywhere began stepping up to pay it forward—by hiding gift cards, cash, and kind notes in baby products at stores like Target and Walmart, in the hopes that other mothers would find them.
Moms are leaving gift cards in diaper packages to help struggling mothers out. Photo from TikTok
Influencer Cecily Bauchman, a mom of two, took part in the movement after being inspired by Gonzalez’s post. Bauchman shared her own video, showing her slipping a $100 Target gift card into a box of Huggies diapers along with a note that read, “You deserve something special. You’re doing amazing!” Her video, viewed by millions, encouraged hundreds of other creators and moms to join in and spread a bit of joy.
One of those moms was Katie Beach, a stay-at-home mother from Gaithersburg, Md. After seeing Gonzalez’s video, Beach felt compelled to contribute. She bought four $50 gift cards and taped them to formula containers at her local Target. “I just wanted another mom to feel seen and appreciated. It’s so easy to forget that we’re more than just caretakers. We matter, too,” Beach said.
The movement has inspired countless videos from moms sharing their own experiences of selflessness and empathy. Danielle Stanley, a 27-year-old mom from Georgia, took things one step further by personally gifting a $100 Walmart gift card to a mother she saw in the baby aisle. “I saw her putting things back, and it reminded me of my own struggles with a newborn. I just wanted to brighten her day,” Stanley said.
Moms across the country are continuing to pay it forward, ensuring that no act of kindness — no matter how small — goes unnoticed. Whether it’s anonymously leaving gift cards or simply offering a kind word, this viral movement has reinforced a simple truth: every mom deserves the purse, and so much more.
Sources: Washington Post | Motherly
