Not being able to hear can be an isolating experience but not for two-year-old Sam Savitz.
Sam, who was born deaf, has a whole neighbourhood of friends who can speak her language.
Sam’s mother, Glenda Savitz, says that a couple of women she knew approached her a few months ago and asked if they could host an American Sign Language class for their Newton, Mass., neighbourhood.
“They said the class would be a 20-person max. I remember thinking, ‘I hope someone signs up,’” she told CTV News Channel on Friday. “A couple days later ... they replied, ‘The class is full.’”
Savitz says the neighbours have already learned simple sentences like, “Do you want to play?” and “Do you want a cookie?” Each of them has also memorized a story book, and some have visited Sam for story time.
The neighbours’ gesture is “the most meaningful gift that anyone could ever give to me and my family,” Savitz said.
Sam also seems to appreciate the kindness, her mother says. The morning after a recent practice session held around the Savitz’s dining room table, Sam “darted downstairs, pointed to every single chair and signed ‘friend.’”
