Two servers at Murfreesboro Texas Roadhouse were instrumental to make a little boy’s birthday special not only by wishing him happy birthday, but also singing it to him.
Octavius Mitchell Jr. was born with a hearing impairment and for his fourth birthday, his mother and uncle took him out for a treat.
A group of waiters and waitresses gave him the regular restaurant birthday treat and placed him on a saddle. However, the two servers returned back to his table and made it even more special.
Waitress Kathryn Marasco said “I’m sitting there and I’m watching from a distance, and the mom is signing to the little boy which I noticed he had his hearing aids.”
Marasco then asked coworker Brandie White if she could sign happy birthday to the boy.
White had studied Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at Middle Tennessee State University.
So they both went online to search in how to sing in sign ‘happy birthday.’
Marasco adds that “She comes up to me and says Kat, Kat. I found a YouTube video of how to sign happy birthday. So we’re sitting down next to each other. It took us two seconds to learn it,”
After they finished signing happy birthday to Octavius, his mom was very emotional.
Shatika Dixon said “Everybody thinks we’re crazy when we’re out talking and we’re signing. So it’s really important to me that someone noticed that and picked up on that and made that special just for him, my baby.”
White said “As a server I want you to be able to come in, I want to be like, ‘Oh this is my home. I belong here.”
Octavius’ mom said that the entire night was wonderful and memorable and that was the first time signing with other people.
