When Adelaide mum Emma Burchell accidentally left her Bugaboo Butterfly stroller outside a local op shop, she thought it was gone for good. Staff at the store mistook the pram as a donation and sold it for just $12. What followed was a whirlwind of media attention, a viral video by comedian Josh Hawkins (better known as HiJosh), and an outpouring of support for Emma and her family.
Bugaboo stepped in to replace Emma’s stroller with a brand new Butterfly 2 model. Around the same time, retailer The Memo also offered a replacement. Suddenly, Emma had more than one pram offered to her.
That’s when Big Group Hug became part of the story. Knowing how critically short we are on prams for families in need, we reached out to Josh to let him know about the demand we see every week. Prams are one of the most requested items at Big Group Hug, and yet they are also one of the hardest essentials to source.
Josh kindly reached out to Bugaboo on our behalf to ask if they would consider donating the spare pram to Big Group Hug. Bugaboo generously agreed, ensuring that one of our local families, who might otherwise go without, will now have a safe and reliable pram for their child.
What an amazing reminder of how kindness can ripple outwards. What started as one mum’s stressful ordeal ended up sparking support not only for her own family, but also for another family doing it tough.
The hilarious story went viral, with news outlets including Daily Mail, 7News, 9News, and more!
At Big Group Hug, we see daily how important it is for children to have access to the basics that so many of us take for granted. A pram is freedom for a parent without a car; it’s the ability to get to appointments, to connect with community, and to just go about daily life with their child safely by their side.
We’re grateful to Emma, Josh, The Memo, and Bugaboo for showing how community, compassion, and generosity can come together to support families.
If you or your business would like to get involved in helping us provide essentials like prams to families in crisis, please reach out. Together, we can make sure no child goes without.
