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鈥檚 disease, and Kathleen had left him waiting just outside the exit 鈥� 鈥渆xactly the same spot that I always do鈥� 鈥� in the store鈥檚 courtesy wheelchair, which he had used throughout the half hour they鈥檇 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.

鈥淭he look on his face was one of pure terror,鈥� Kathleen said.

鈥淗is legs, because of the Parkinson鈥檚, the thighs freeze up. There鈥檚 no warning. He can just fall, and has done many times,鈥� she explained.

鈥淗e was hanging on for dear life.鈥�

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鈥檚 heard 鈥渘ot a peep鈥� from the store manager, nor anyone at the corporate level 鈥� both of which were left messages on the day of the incident.

鈥淚 would鈥檝e at least liked to have heard that they are looking into it and they would get back to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey haven鈥檛 even done that.鈥�

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

The employee simply confirmed that she鈥檇 taken the wheelchair from John 鈥� who also has Alzheimer鈥檚 disease 鈥� and said store policy prohibits them being taken out of the store.

If that was the case, 鈥渢here are many ways that she could鈥檝e handled that situation,鈥� Kathleen said.

鈥淭he one she chose was irresponsible, reckless. To take a wheelchair from a handicapped person is irresponsible.鈥�

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

She went public with the experience because she鈥檚 confident it wasn鈥檛 the first time something like that has happened, and 鈥淚鈥檇 like it to stop.鈥�

She鈥檇 like to see a policy put together and education for staff so it 鈥渘ever happens again.鈥�

鈥淲hen something that is wrong on so many levels happens, I believe that it鈥檚 important to speak out,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 will not stand for this kind of behaviour. It鈥檚 just not right.鈥�