When a stranger signed to her son, this mom saw years of love and learning come full circle

“I froze. I just couldn’t move,” Callie Foster told Newsweek, describing the moment her 4-year-old son, Luca, signed his name unprompted for the very first time. What seemed like a simple exchange at a Chick-fil-A in California was, for Foster, the culmination of years of learning, advocacy, and hope condensed into a few seconds of connection.

In the viral TikTok video posted to Foster’s account, @thelacouple, which has over 4 million views, Luca and his mom are filming a routine outing where he is practicing ordering his own food.

As Luca approached the counter, the cashier, Moises, noticed he used ASL and asked, “What’s your name?” Without missing a beat, Luca proudly finger-spelled it for the first time. “Watching him do that, completely unprompted, stopped me in my tracks,” Foster recalled in her interview with Newsweek. “For us, that moment represented years of learning and advocating and hoping—all condensed into this tiny, beautiful act of self-expression.”

@thelacouple

Oh to be seen, understood, and included This is community. This is love. This is what inclusion looks like… and my mom felt melts everytime. Thank you to this man for seeing my son

♬ original sound – theLAcouple

What made the exchange even more meaningful, Foster recalled the cashier’s response in the same interview: kindness, understanding, and communication in Luca’s language. “That’s the world I hope Luca grows up in—one where people meet him halfway.”

Related: AAP says hearing loss is a ‘public health hazard’ parents need to be proactive about

How a small act created a bigger ripple

Moises later commented on the TikTok under the handle @sm_19620, “I learned ASL when I was in high school and I’ve tried my best to use those skills when I have the opportunity. It’s the small things that really do matter for people, and I’m glad I was there to make Luca’s day special.”

Viewers were touched by Luca’s accomplishment and by the empathy Moises displayed. The video sparked thousands of comments, highlighting how simple gestures can foster connection, representation, and accessibility for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

• “I know mom was about to cry in that moment .” — @eisleysmama
• “His little fingers signing .” — @kirrasmith_photographer
• “Sign language should be an elective course in schools.” — @ceeceediva
• “I think I just fell in love with a stranger (cashier) .” — @therealvee.

The story behind the moment—years of love and learning

Foster and her husband, parents of Luca, began learning ASL shortly after his hearing loss diagnosis at six weeks old. “It wasn’t easy,” Foster told Newsweek. “We stumbled, we learned slowly, and we still are learning, but every sign has built a bridge between us.”

Their journey highlights the importance of early communication access: the CDC estimates around three in every 1,000 babies in the U.S. are born with detectable hearing loss. Learning ASL not only connected them to Luca but also helped them engage with the wider deaf community, gaining insight into identity, culture, and accessibility.

The power of meeting kids where they are

Research from the American Speech‑Language‑Hearing Association emphasizes that children who are deaf or hard of hearing need access to language from birth to support healthy development and emotional well-being.

Exposure to American Sign Language or other accessible communication systems allows children to build critical language, social, and cognitive skills. 

Foster’s story illustrates this perfectly: sometimes the most impactful moments of connection happen when someone simply takes the time to meet a child where they are, using the language the child understands.

Related: Watch this entire extended family learn ASL to communicate with deaf baby and try not to cry

Give children access and understanding

Foster told Newsweek she hopes Luca’s world (and ours) can be one where people meet children halfway. That single, unprompted sign at a fast-food counter became more than a milestone; it was a celebration of advocacy, access, and the quiet power of everyday kindness.

Sources: 

1. CDC. 2025. “Data and Statistics About Hearing Loss in Children.”
2. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. “Language and Communication of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children.”

source https://www.mother.ly/news/son-meets-stranger-who-knows-asl/