BOY BORN DEAF SPEAKS TO DISNEY CHARACTER IN ASL, CHARACTER RESPONDS IN KIND

PEOPLE

 

Boy Who Was Born Deaf Talks to Disney Character in ASL. What Happens Next Catches His Parents 'Completely Off Guard' (Exclusive)

By Georgia Slater  Published on April 2, 2026 06:00AM EDT

 

Callie Foster and her family are frequent Disneyland goers, but what happened during a recent trip to the park was unlike any other visit.

 

Foster, 38, and her husband Leonardo Silva, 39, are proud parents to a 4-year-old son named Luca, who was born deaf. "He was diagnosed as profoundly deaf at 6 weeks old, and that was confirmed again a few months later," Foster tells PEOPLE. "As we started navigating next steps, we went through a hearing aid trial while exploring cochlear implants. During that process, we began to notice that he was responding to more sound than expected."

 

"Around age 2, we did another sedated ABR test, and his diagnosis actually changed; it showed that he was in the mild to moderate hard-of-hearing range, which ultimately disqualified him from cochlear implants," she explains.

 

Foster and Silva made it their mission to learn American Sign Language (ASL) from the beginning. "We had learned that about 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents, but only around 10% of those families go on to learn sign language, and that really stayed with us," she says. "Learning ASL was the best decision we’ve ever made. It gave Luca full access to language from the start and has allowed him to express himself, connect with others, and really thrive."

 

On a recent visit to Disneyland, something exceptional happened when their son Luca initiated a conversation in ASL with one of the characters, Jessie from Toy Story.

 

Not only was this the first time Luca began the conversation with a character on his own, but to everyone's surprise, Jessie knew ASL too.

 

"Because we go to the parks often, we really try not to put that expectation on anyone. We never assume a character will know ASL, so usually we’re the ones interpreting for Luca; we’re used to stepping in to help facilitate those interactions," Foster says. "This time was completely different. Luca initiated it on his own. He signed to her first, and there was this split second where we all kind of looked at each other like, 'Wait… did that just happen?' And then she recognized it and started signing back to him."

 

"It was honestly overwhelming in the best way, because in past moments, it usually started with us signing and the character following his lead. But this time, it was Luca leading the interaction entirely and being met right there," adds Foster, who captured the heartwarming moment in a now-viral video posted to TikTok. "It completely caught us off guard."

 

She says the experience was "really beautiful," especially as Luca had been coming out of his shell more and more.

 

"Just this past October, he started signing to people on his own out in public after starting preschool," she shares. "So to see him not only initiate that interaction, but then be fully understood… it was overwhelming in the best way."

 

"There’s something so special about watching your child flourish in their own language, especially a language we didn’t know anything about before he was born," continues Foster. "Seeing him feel confident, seen, and understood out in the world… as a parent, it just hits on a completely different level. It feels like you’ve given your child the ability to truly communicate and connect, and that’s everything."

 

Since posting the video online, Foster says the response has been "overwhelming in the best way."

 

"So many people, both hearing and deaf, have shared how meaningful it was to see," she says.

 

As for whether she's surprised by how fast the video took off, Foster says it's a mix.

 

"Yes and no. I think people are really drawn to moments of genuine connection, and that’s what this was. There was nothing staged about it," she tells PEOPLE. "At the same time, I think it’s a testament to the fact that people want to see more good happening in the world. Moments like this where someone takes the time to connect in a meaningful way really stay with people."