This common store display nearly blinded a toddler—and could put grandkids at risk
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A routine shopping trip turned into a frightening ordeal in just seconds.
Now, parents and grandparents alike are being urged to take a closer look at a common store display.
Sometimes the biggest risks hide in plain sight. What happened?
This regular shopping trip turned into every parent’s nightmare for Western Sydney mum Maureen Ahluwalia, whose two-year-old daughter Amaira narrowly escaped permanent eye damage.
This incident follows a run-in with a low-hanging merchandise rack at Blacktown’s Westpoint shopping centre on July 8.
Now, Maureen is on a mission to make retail spaces safer for children across Australia—and her story is a wake-up call for all of us.
Amaira was walking right beside her mum, just as she often does, when disaster struck.
‘She’s just turned and the rack hook’s gone in her eye. I tried to calm her down, literally her eyelid was inside out,’ Maureen recalled. ‘I saw when she opened her eye that there’s blood coming into it.’
Her sister-in-law quickly suggested taking Amaira to the Specsavers inside the centre. Staff rushed the toddler in for immediate care.
‘They said she didn’t scratch her cornea, she was very lucky to miss it by less than a millimetre. If it was, she would have had some damage to her vision or even blindness.’
Amaira developed a painful blood clot, but avoided the worst.
When Maureen contacted Harris Scarfe, the store where it happened, she says it took more than six days to receive a courtesy call from the risk management team.
Her request for CCTV footage was denied.
‘They weren’t interested in looking into why this happened or if we need to change our hooks or anything … it wasn’t a priority for them.’
As she searched online, Maureen came across a string of similar cases.
‘Kids have lost their vision over it, kids have ended up in hospital, with permanent damage. That’s when I knew this is a real problem—this is not a parent’s fault. It’s beyond that.’
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Source: Facebook.
Major retailers like Kmart, Target and Rebel Sport added rubber and plastic tips to their hooks back in 2020, but many dangerous fixtures remain at toddler height.
Determined to make change, Maureen launched a NSW parliamentary petition calling for updated safety standards, supported by Blacktown MP Stephen Bali.
Online, her campaign has drawn both support and criticism. Some users cruelly suggested: ‘Keep your kids in the car. A lot safer there.’ Others claimed it was ‘preventable with a parent doing their job.’
Maureen pushes back: ‘It’s the same as having a fence around the pool. Why do we do that? Why do we have booster seats for kids? These are all safety measures to prevent what can possibly happen. This is not about paying attention to your kids. My daughter was two steps away from me. I’d never spoken about compensation … but no money could ever bring back my daughter’s eye if she had lost it.’
While this story centres on children, the risks don’t stop there. Poorly designed store fixtures can be dangerous for seniors too, from tripping hazards to low-hanging hooks.
With slower reaction times and reduced vision, what might be a near miss for one person could be life-changing for another.
Retailers have a duty of care to make their stores safe for everyone—and that means proactive safety checks, proper staff training, and listening when customers raise red flags.
Read more: You Won’t Believe What This Mum Found at a Gold Coast Play Centre – Every Parent Needs to See This!
Have you ever had a close call or noticed a safety hazard in a store? Do you think retailers are doing enough to keep customers safe? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below!
Now, parents and grandparents alike are being urged to take a closer look at a common store display.
Sometimes the biggest risks hide in plain sight. What happened?
This regular shopping trip turned into every parent’s nightmare for Western Sydney mum Maureen Ahluwalia, whose two-year-old daughter Amaira narrowly escaped permanent eye damage.
This incident follows a run-in with a low-hanging merchandise rack at Blacktown’s Westpoint shopping centre on July 8.
Now, Maureen is on a mission to make retail spaces safer for children across Australia—and her story is a wake-up call for all of us.
Amaira was walking right beside her mum, just as she often does, when disaster struck.
Western Sydney mum is campaigning for improved retail safety standards after her two-year-old daughter narrowly avoided blindness from a low-hanging merchandise hook at a shopping centre. Image source: Facebook and Youtube.
‘She’s just turned and the rack hook’s gone in her eye. I tried to calm her down, literally her eyelid was inside out,’ Maureen recalled. ‘I saw when she opened her eye that there’s blood coming into it.’
Her sister-in-law quickly suggested taking Amaira to the Specsavers inside the centre. Staff rushed the toddler in for immediate care.
‘They said she didn’t scratch her cornea, she was very lucky to miss it by less than a millimetre. If it was, she would have had some damage to her vision or even blindness.’
Amaira developed a painful blood clot, but avoided the worst.
When Maureen contacted Harris Scarfe, the store where it happened, she says it took more than six days to receive a courtesy call from the risk management team.
Her request for CCTV footage was denied.
‘They weren’t interested in looking into why this happened or if we need to change our hooks or anything … it wasn’t a priority for them.’
As she searched online, Maureen came across a string of similar cases.
‘Kids have lost their vision over it, kids have ended up in hospital, with permanent damage. That’s when I knew this is a real problem—this is not a parent’s fault. It’s beyond that.’
Little Kickers Blacktown & Districts
Hi there Little Kickers families! Please see below an important message from a fellow parent of one of our Little Legends. ⚽️ If you have a moment please consider signing the below petition. Hi...
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Major retailers like Kmart, Target and Rebel Sport added rubber and plastic tips to their hooks back in 2020, but many dangerous fixtures remain at toddler height.
Determined to make change, Maureen launched a NSW parliamentary petition calling for updated safety standards, supported by Blacktown MP Stephen Bali.
Online, her campaign has drawn both support and criticism. Some users cruelly suggested: ‘Keep your kids in the car. A lot safer there.’ Others claimed it was ‘preventable with a parent doing their job.’
Maureen pushes back: ‘It’s the same as having a fence around the pool. Why do we do that? Why do we have booster seats for kids? These are all safety measures to prevent what can possibly happen. This is not about paying attention to your kids. My daughter was two steps away from me. I’d never spoken about compensation … but no money could ever bring back my daughter’s eye if she had lost it.’
While this story centres on children, the risks don’t stop there. Poorly designed store fixtures can be dangerous for seniors too, from tripping hazards to low-hanging hooks.
With slower reaction times and reduced vision, what might be a near miss for one person could be life-changing for another.
Retailers have a duty of care to make their stores safe for everyone—and that means proactive safety checks, proper staff training, and listening when customers raise red flags.
Read more: You Won’t Believe What This Mum Found at a Gold Coast Play Centre – Every Parent Needs to See This!
Have you ever had a close call or noticed a safety hazard in a store? Do you think retailers are doing enough to keep customers safe? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below!
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