A South Surrey senior is calling on Walmart to better-train its staff to deal with disabled customers, after she says her husband was left at risk of a serious-injury fall during a recent shopping trip.

Kathleen McMahon said she and John were at the Grandview Corners Walmart Supercentre (2355 160 St.) on April 20 when a security guard made John use a shopping cart for support while McMahon was fetching their van from the parking lot.

John, 79, has balance issues due to Parkinson乌鸦传媒檚 disease, and Kathleen had left him waiting just outside the exit 乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒渆xactly the same spot that I always do乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� in the store乌鸦传媒檚 courtesy wheelchair, which he had used throughout the half hour they乌鸦传媒檇 spent shopping in the store.

When she returned a few minutes later, however, she was shocked to find him standing, clutching a shopping cart to steady himself.

乌鸦传媒淭he look on his face was one of pure terror,乌鸦传媒� Kathleen said.

乌鸦传媒淗is legs, because of the Parkinson乌鸦传媒檚, the thighs freeze up. There乌鸦传媒檚 no warning. He can just fall, and has done many times,乌鸦传媒� she explained.

乌鸦传媒淗e was hanging on for dear life.乌鸦传媒�

Peace Arch News has not yet received a response from Walmart to a request for comment.

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The company reportedly told television news that they were looking into the incident and would be reaching out to the McMahons.

However, Kathleen says she乌鸦传媒檚 heard 乌鸦传媒渘ot a peep乌鸦传媒� from the store manager, nor anyone at the corporate level 乌鸦传媒� both of which were left messages on the day of the incident.

乌鸦传媒淚 would乌鸦传媒檝e at least liked to have heard that they are looking into it and they would get back to me,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey haven乌鸦传媒檛 even done that.乌鸦传媒�

Kathleen said she did make a point of speaking to the security guard at the time, but says the response she got there 乌鸦传媒渄id nothing to alleviate the anger that I felt.乌鸦传媒�

The employee simply confirmed that she乌鸦传媒檇 taken the wheelchair from John 乌鸦传媒� who also has Alzheimer乌鸦传媒檚 disease 乌鸦传媒� and said store policy prohibits them being taken out of the store.

If that was the case, 乌鸦传媒渢here are many ways that she could乌鸦传媒檝e handled that situation,乌鸦传媒� Kathleen said.

乌鸦传媒淭he one she chose was irresponsible, reckless. To take a wheelchair from a handicapped person is irresponsible.乌鸦传媒�

Kathleen said her husband holds no animosity over what happened, and said she is not looking for financial compensation from Walmart 乌鸦传媒� although she would most certainly have sued had John fallen that day.

She went public with the experience because she乌鸦传媒檚 confident it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 the first time something like that has happened, and 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 like it to stop.乌鸦传媒�

She乌鸦传媒檇 like to see a policy put together and education for staff so it 乌鸦传媒渘ever happens again.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淲hen something that is wrong on so many levels happens, I believe that it乌鸦传媒檚 important to speak out,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚 will not stand for this kind of behaviour. It乌鸦传媒檚 just not right.乌鸦传媒�