 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Signing Santa
Watch this Video
| Windows Media |
  |
| QuickTime | |
| MPEG |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|||
 |
You dont have to be a child to believe in Santa Claus. For deaf father Michael Singleton, Christmas is extra special. A shopping mall Santa granted his greatest wish to be with his kids after nearly four years. |
||
 |
|||
 |
New Items | Additional Stories | UMTV Brief | Archives | ||
Signing Santa Story:
You would think Michael Singleton is too old to believe in Santa Claus. But then you don't know about his one Christmas wish.
If I hadn't met Santa Claus, I wouldn't be here right now.
United Methodist minister Curt Keller played Santa at the local mall. That's where he met Michael. But when he said hello, Michael didn't respond.
So I looked at him for a moment then I started signing to him. His eyes got wide. Santa Claus signs! Then we started talking, and he told me about how his kids were taken from him three years ago.
Michael's kids had been in foster care ever since his wife was accused of spanking too hard. Michael was at work when it happened. But because this deaf man couldn't understand state workers, they decided he too was to blame, and took his children away.
I felt like nobody cared. Nobody wanted to help me.
Nobody but Curt Keller. A licensed family therapist, he got access to Michael's files and discovered his new friend hadn't done anything wrong.
Its just because he's deaf and some people refused to accept that that he lost his children for almost four years. It was really hard on him.
After months of effort, Curt finally managed to convince the state that the Singleton kids deserved to be with their father.
It's like an angel just came to save me.
An angel in a red suit, who gave the only Christmas gift Michael Singleton ever truly needed.