A boy who is deaf was given a birthday surprise he will never forget despite isolation rules, as his entire neighborhood signed Happy Birthday to him from the street. Neighbors of Leo Denenberg, 8, spent two weeks learning the song for the youngster, bringing a huge smile to his face on April 11. Leo uses non-spoken sign language to communicate on a daily basis, and as his friends from school are based around various parts of the Austin, Texas, his mom, Keely, 46, wanted to come up with a surprise in their area. Keely said that she was not aware of any local residents who know American Sign Language, and so, with the states stay-at-home order in place, she sent out a group text to ask if anyone would be willing to learn Happy Birthday through ASL. To those who replied, Keely sent two short video tutorials. On Logan’s birthday, 17 neighbors gathered outside the Denenberg’s home, formed a semicircle at a suitable distance, and signed the song to the delighted 8-year-old. Leo was then presented with a birthday cake, telling his mother via sign language that the moment made him so happy.
