Newspaper Page Text
[ Hometown I
•EJ
Signing for
Santa
Santa Claus sits in a plump,
velvet chair in Plano, Texas, while children with gap
toothed grins, excited eyes and even a few tearful faces
line up behind him. The children liave never heard
Santa’s jolly “ho, lx), lio," and many have never sat in his
lap to share a Christmas wish list. But this Santas helper
has a surprise. He knows sign language.
“When they notice I can sign, there's a glow that
comes over their fates," says Buster Bramall, of Waxa
hachie, Texas (pop. 24,205), who has portrayed Santa for
hearing impaired children for more titan 30 years.
The opportunity for the kids to communicate directly
with Santa is what makes the experience so special. In
the {tast, many ltad to send messages to Santa through
siblings or friends. Although Bramall is not hearing
impaired, his parents were deaf, so he understands die
childrens frustrations.
“Before 1 learned to sign, if my daddy didn’t understand
_ Kq.
A delighted Lauren Bruce, 5, hugs Santa in Plano,Texas.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER:
A CHRISTMAS WREATH—
SHIPPED FREE & FRESH FROM VERMONT
This Christmas season, enjoy a fresh wreath on your front door,
gate or lamppost. These wreaths are unrivaled for their freshness
and fragrance. Enjoy the deep green color, lush springy needles and a
balsam fragrance that will fill your home. Comes festively decorated
with a beautiful red bow, pinecones and faux holly berries. They are
quite large at 22 to 24 inches in diameter.
Order by December 12 for Christmas delivery. Please call
toll free (888) 314-1962 and use item #22-400.
FREE shipping and delivery for American Profile readers.
Offer expires 12/3112006.
by KRISTEN
TRIBE
• • > i/. __ jts jLJKm
■ JH Ki.
HI BHr'
■y ■ m wMEm g|Og:;
M H ■ W '
ft I I
As Santa, Buster Bramall uses sign language to communicate with Arety Basurto, 7, as she shares her Christmas wish list.
something I was trying to tell him, he would say, ‘Tell
your sister,’ (who knew how to sign)," Bramall says. “But
I didn’t want to tell my sister everything I wanted Daddy
to know. It was like going through a third party."
Bramall, now 53, was in his 20s when lie began play
ing Santa Claus for children in a deaf education program
in Corsicana, Texas (pop. 26,014), and five years ago he
also began appearing at The Simps at Willow Bend mall
in Plano, Texas. Between the two locations, about 2(X)
hearing impaired children shared their Christmas wisltes
with Bramall fast year.
Speech therapist Sarah Gillette brought a group of 3-
and 4-year-olds from the Mesquite Regional Day School
for the Deaf to the Plano event. As each child left Santa’s
lap, she gave them high-fives and [tats on the back. “The
kids are used to being in places where people can’t com
municate with them, so to come here and have someone
who can talk to tltem is really special,” she says.
Stella Ashley of Dallas, a long-time friend of Bramall’s,
plays Mrs. Claus. Like Bramall, she is not hearing
impaired, but her parents were deaf and site learned to
sign as a child. As Mrs. Claus, six 1 greets the children
using sign language and finds out their names and what
they want for Christmas, pissing along the information
ONLY $29.95
+
k FREE SBrH
Fresh
Cut!
to Santa so he can greet each child personally.
Angel Rauls, 7, of Dallas, attends the Dallas Regional
Day School for the Deaf and was excited to talk to Santa
at the Plano mall. “I asked Santa for roller skates," she
says. "If I get them, I’ll probably skate with my friends,
and I might be able to teach my younger brothers and
sisters to skate.”
Angel has a good grasp of sign language, but some
children who are just learning to sign bring pictures
of the toys they would like. No matter their signing
skills, Bramall says communicating with the kids is
not difficult, though sometimes their requests can be
lieartbreaking.
"One giri asked me for a mama and daddy,” he says.
"It’s times like these that I almost lose it and have to
breathe deep.”
Bramall is a self-proclaimed emotional guy, but
Ashley says his enthusiasm, sense of humor and love
of children make him the perfect Santa. Those same
qualities have guided BraniaU’s work for the past 18
years at the Lena Pope Home, an organization in Fort
Worth, Texas, that aids struggling families and sup
ports children in foster lionies. Bramall is the director
of properties and also founded a program that helps 18-
year-olds acquire their first vehicle after being released
from the foster care system.
Bramall says lie "just tries to help out wherever lie can,”
but sharing his creative energy enables him to give price
less gifts to those he meets at work or as Santa.
“As Santa, lie's able to bring a certain amount of
pleasure to these children, and he is very dedicated to
whatever project or commitment lie has made," Ashley
says. “He’s a hoot, and I just love him."
Kristen Tribe is a uriter in Decatur, Texas.
Did you like this story?
Post your comments on our new
message boards at AmericanProfile.com
Page 8
•www.americanprofile.com