Girl, 8, Learns Sign Language So She Can Say ‘Good Morning’ To Deaf Delivery Driver

After learning how to speak with her neighborhood deaf delivery man in sign language, a young girl has formed an endearing bond with him.

Tallulah, an eight-year-old from Ashton-Under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, has seen her neighborhood Hermes driver Tim Joseph at least once a week throughout lockdown.

Recognizing the important work he was doing while staying at home during the pandemic, the little girl drew Tim a thank-you rainbow painting at the start of lockdown, which the driver has proudly displayed in his van ever since. She wanted to speak with him more, so she decided to learn sign language.

Tallulah is seen welcoming a smiling Tim at their front gate and signs to him, ‘Have a good day,’ in a moving video released by her ‘proud mum,’ Amy Roberts.

Tallulah smiles at Tim, who shows her how to say “good morning, have a good day” before signing it back to the driver, who says the exchange “totally brightened my day.”

‘This is our Hermes delivery man, we see him once or twice a week, start of lockdown Tallulah drew him a #thankyou,’ Amy posted on Twitter.

‘He still has it proudly displayed in his van, and they’ve developed quite a bond over the previous several weeks #proudmum,’ said the mother.

‘A friendship forged in secrecy in a world where anyone may be anyone #BeKind,’ she continued.

‘Tallulah realized I was deaf, and then one day she astonished me when she signed to me, “have a good day,” I suppose she learned sign language at school,’ Tim later told the BBC.

‘I was overjoyed, so I showed Tallulah how to sign “good morning, have a good day,” and she did so flawlessly, and it made my day.’

People who said thank you and urged others to learn how to sign retweeted and liked Amy’s message thousands of times after she posted it on social media.

When Tim witnessed the outpouring of heartfelt notes from well-wishers, he said he was “quite shocked.”

‘I hope that more people learn to sign and that we can bring more people together,’ he added.