Angela Peters just wanted a manicure.
When a nail salon told her she “moved too much,” a Walmart employee stepped in to help.
Peters, an artist from Michigan, has cerebral palsy (CP), a condition that impacts her mobility, including her hands. A week ago, she went into a local Walmart in the small city of Burton and found an independently run nail salon within the store.
But when she inquired about getting her nails done, she was refused service.
“When I went in there, they denied me because they said I moved too much,” she told the broadcaster. “I want to bring awareness to people.”
READ MORE: 4-year-old Michigan girl with cerebral palsy takes first steps: ‘I’m walking!’
Little did Peters know that a Walmart cashier, Ebony Harris, who talked to Peters when she went to the department store, would end up doing her nails.
Harris set up a mini salon on a table at a Subway restaurant inside the Walmart, while employee Tasia Smith took photos.|
WATCH: Girl with cerebral palsy celebrated for saving brother from pool
Smith posted the encounter between Harris and Peters on Facebook, mentioning how Harris and other employees bought nail polish and remover themselves.
“They were so patient with her … it’s an absolute shame that they denied her for some thing so little. They will not be getting any service from me ever again! Thank you to the Walmart workers for making this beautiful girl’s day,” she wrote on the social media site.
After her post went viral, Smith, Harris and Peters went on a mission to educate the public about CP and giving back.
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Living with cerebral palsy
According to CanChild, an academic network within the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., CP is a group of disorders that can affect a person’s motor control and posture.
Roughly one out of every 400 people in Canada are diagnosed with the disorder, and it is the most common physical disability among children.
READ MORE: 9-year-old non-verbal girl with cerebral palsy honoured for saving brother’s life
Signs of CP are often seen in babies, toddlers and children, the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation notes, but some signs may not be obvious until a child develops.
Common signs in babies include low muscle tone (feeling floppy), muscle spasms or feeding difficulties, while in toddlers and children, symptoms could include not walking after 12 to 18 months or not speaking.
“If your child is not reaching these milestones or they display some of the signs of cerebral palsy, you may need to speak to your early childhood nurse, general practitioner or pediatrician,” the foundation notes.
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