[WATCH] Employee Saved a Mom From Her Crying Toddler

Quick Smiles:

• A grocery worker at Dollar Tree, Fatimah Leftwich, swoops in to save the day when a toddler starts to have a meltdown.
• Fatimah invites the toddler to help her scan items, instantly calming her down.
• The toddler’s mother, Mary-Ann Byrnes, is grateful for Fatimah’s help and the two have kept in contact since the incident.

No matter how good you are at soothing your child, there will always be those times when they’re just inconsolable. And sometimes, you come across someone who’s an absolute pro at it. That’s what happened to Mary-Ann Byrnes, 38, during a shopping trip at a Dollar Tree in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. Her two-year-old daughter, also named Mary-Ann, decided it was meltdown time.

Luckily for the Mary-Anns, they were in the company of a master soother—the cashier. This cashier, recorded on video, scooped up the little one and instantly pacified her with an offer to help scan the items.

Mary-Ann recalls, “I went to a Dollar Tree store about a town away with my daughter and mom to pick up some stuff for Christmas. My mom had a separate cart and was still shopping by the time we were in line and the store was pretty busy.”

The toddler, being at that restless age, wanted to be picked up all the time. So when she started to cry and have a little meltdown, it was a bit of a challenge for Mary-Ann, who was trying to pay for her stuff and not keep people waiting behind her.

That’s when the cashier, Fatimah Leftwich, noticed Mary-Ann’s struggle. She kindly asked the toddler if she wanted to help behind the counter. Little Mary-Ann was quick to say yes.

“She asked if it was cool for her to pick my daughter up and then helped her scan all of my items and even some of the people’s items behind me! I saw a woman who had the ability to calm my daughter down with such a wonderful, trusting energy. It was amazing,” Mary-Ann said.

A video shows little Mary-Ann completely at ease in Fatimah’s arms, scanning items while being praised by Fatimah for being a “fast learner.”

Mary-Ann and Fatimah have stayed in touch since the video was filmed. Fatimah has since been transferred to a Dollar Tree closer to her home.

This story is a great reminder of how everyone has a superpower. In this case, Fatimah’s superpower was her ability to calm a crying toddler and turn a stressful situation into a delightful one.

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