This is the touching moment a cashier helps a mother by picking up her crying toddler and scanning items with her.

Mary-Ann Byrnes, 38, was shopping at a Dollar Tree store when her two-year-old daughter started to have a meltdown.

To help calm the situation down, the cashier picks up the youngster and the pair scan the items together.

Mary-Ann, a freelance production worker from Cedar Grove, New Jersey, USA, said: "I went to a Dollar Tree store about a town away with my daughter and mum to pick up some stuff for Christmas.

"My mum had a separate cart and was still shopping by the time we were in line and the store was pretty busy.

"My daughter is of that toddler age where she gets restless and she wants to be picked up all the time.

"So she started to cry and have a little meltdown, which was hard to manage with all my stuff that I was trying to pay for and not keep people waiting behind me."

Fatimah Leftwich, who works as a cashier, noticed that Mary-Ann was struggling and kindly asked the tot, also named Mary-Ann, if she wanted to help behind the counter.

The tot immediately said yes.

Mary-Ann said: "She asked if it was cool for her to pick my daughter up and then helped her scan all of my items and even some of the people's items behind me!

"I saw a woman who had the ability to calm my daughter down with such a wonderful, trusting energy. It was amazing."

A video shows Mary-Ann completely at ease in Fatimah's arms, scanning items whilst being encouraged by Fatimah telling her that "she's a fast learner."

Mary-Ann and Fatimah have kept in contact since the video was filmed and Fatimah has since been a transferred to a Dollar Tree closer to her home.