For seven-year-old Claire Koch of Clearwater, FL, sign language is simple — and that’s because she was born into it. Her parents, Lori and Tom, are both deaf. Claire and her little sister aren’t hearing-impaired, but they’ve both been using American Sign Language (ASL) since they were babies in order to communicate with their parents. Being bilingual at age seven is amazing enough, but for her second language to be ASL is pretty impressive.
Back in 2013, Claire became a viral video sensation when she took part in her kindergarten’s holiday concert. Lori and Tom found a couple seats in the front row and made sure to sit next to the interpreter. But Claire was fully prepared to include her parents in on the special day, and she wanted to make sure they didn’t miss a beat. Not only did she belt out the songs with the rest of the students, but she also used her signing skills so that her parents could follow along with every single word.
From “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to “Jingle Bells,” Lori and Tom were able to “hear” all the Christmas classics, thanks to their wonderful little girl. “I didn’t ask her. It wasn’t expected, it was just a surprise,” Lori said.
