'Beautiful moment': Mom moved to tears seeing 2-year-old in awe of inclusive Target advertisement

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Wednesday, February 12, 2020
2-year-old stares in awe at Target ad featuring boy like him
Target advertisement featuring a boy in a wheelchair stops a 2-year-old in his tracks and moves his mother to tears.

PEORIA, AZ -- An Arizona mother was moved to tears when an advertisement at Target caused her son to stop in his tracks and stare in awe at the sign.

"It was just a beautiful moment to see. Him admiring somebody like him because he doesn't get to see that often," Demi Garza-Pena said to KNXV in Arizona.

Garza-Pena's son, Ollie, is almost two years old. He uses a wheelchair to get around because he was born with a rare condition called caudal regression syndrome, which affects his lower spine and organs.

While the pair were shopping in Target, Ollie noticed something inspiring on a sign hanging above a rack of clothes.

The sign showed a young boy in a wheelchair.

Seeing her son's response to the advertisement showed Garza-Pena how important representation can be, especially for children. She hopes other stores will follow Target's lead.

"Everywhere...everybody, everywhere, all the time. That would make a huge difference," Garza-Pena said about where she'd like to see more inclusive advertisements.

Target launched the more inclusive ads in 2017, mainly in apparel, and refreshes them regularly. The next batch will come later this month.

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