With our newsfeeds awash with viral videos on a daily basis, it can be easy to miss out on the latest hit or skip over a clip which has delighted millions.
Thankfully for one despairing family, a recent clip which went viral on account of its incredibly heartwarming content has given their young son a new lease of life.
Becky Lane and Craig Griffiths were dealt a heartbreaking blow three years ago when they laid their normally chatty son, Ross, down for the night only to be met the following morning by an incredibly distressed child who was no longer able to communicate with his loving parents.
Recalling the chain of events which signalled years of heartbreak for the family, Becky said: "At 16 months old, he went to bed fine, said 'night night,' went to sleep and when he woke up next morning, he couldn't talk."
"He always used to shout for Mom and Dad when he woke up, but that morning, he couldn't and he just cried and cried. He physically couldn't tell us anything — it was heartbreaking," she recalled as she reflected on her son's sudden struggle.
Desperate to help Ross, Becky and Craig sought the guidance of professionals who, after three years, finally diagnosed their little boy with 15q11.2 - a genetic condition where a small piece of chromosome 15 is missing.
Despite learning sign language, Ross expresses reluctance when asked to use it outside of his home or classroom, however it looks like a recent viral offered the little boy a new perspective on the language he uses on a daily basis.
Like millions others, Ross was incredibly touched when he saw Santa Claus chatting animatedly with a little girl using sign language in a heartwarming video which recently did the rounds on social media.
Enthused by the exchange, Ross told his overjoyed parents that he would like to sign with Father Christmas in a move which has delighted his concerned family.
Acknowledging that her little boy can be "very difficult to understand", Becky is overjoyed that her son realised sign language is nothing to be ashamed of.
"He was so scared to use his sign language outside the house, but when he saw the video of the girl signing with Santa, it showed him he didn't have to be embarrassed," she enthused.
Well done, Ross!
