Girl, 5, Signs During Holiday Concert For Her Deaf Parents

Dec 20, 2022 by apost team

One little girl gave her parents the best Christmas gift that year. The lovely surprise all went down at a school holiday concert when then 5-year-old Claire wanted to reward her parents and show them how much she loved them. She succeeded in her efforts in the sweetest way. All of the parents of the children performing were invited to be part of the audience for the show at Plumb Elementary School in Clearwater, Florida, in 2013. Sweet Claire was worried because she knew that her deaf parents would not even be able to hear her singing. But, of course, they were still there in attendance to show support for their daughter. 

Little Claire’s exploits were caught on film and went viral for all the right reasons. Both Claire’s mother, Lori Koch, and father, Tom Koch, were born deaf. They had two children, Claire and her sister Charlotte, who is three years younger. The children were born with full hearing and the ability to speak normally. However, they also learned American Sign Language when they were very young so that they would be able to communicate with their parents. 

Because of these invaluable skills, Claire was able to sign the words of the song to her parents when it was her turn on stage. She was performing with her classmates during a Christmas concert and can be seen in the video signing the lyrics to the songs they were singing instead of performing the other gestures the children around her were. When they started singing “Santa Is His Name-O,” Claire caught the eye of all those in the audience. After singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “I Have a Little Dreidel,” Claire cemented her place in everyone’s memory with her sweet and touching gesture.

It did not take long for the audience to realize the gift that Claire was giving her mother and father. Everyone was delighted by the heartwarming moment, and you will be, too! It is clear from watching the video that Claire loves her parents very much and wanted them to be able to be part of the performance in the only way that they could.

Even her mother confessed her daughter’s gesture had touched her deeply, telling Buzzfeed, “I, myself, haven't been able to stop watching the video!” She also told Today Parents that Claire “is full of personality and spunk, that's the Claire we know.” In explaining that ALS is the family’s first language at home, Lori said, “Claire used sign language in the play because she was considerate of us and wanted us to understand the lyrics to the song.” Lori added this wasn’t the first time Claire had put her parents above others, saying, “She was signing to her parents, looking right into my iPhone as she knew I was recording her. We don’t use our daughter as an interpreter, but if there is something we missed, she would likely relay it to us.” 

Claire became an overnight sensation once the video of her at the pageant, which has since garnered upwards of 10.5 million views, was uploaded on YouTube. While Lori is no doubt fully aware of just how adorable her daughter is, she didn’t think the clip from the pageant would hit a nerve with so many.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be popular on Facebook, maybe my friends. I did not realize it would go viral like that,” Lori told USA Today. However, Claire’s intentions were just too precious. She told the same outlet: 

“I wanted my whole family to understand me.”

apost.com

How beautiful was Claire’s gesture for her parents at the Christmas show? Doesn’t it make you glad to see such a heartwarming relationship between a child and her parents? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this along to friends and family, too.