At Ward Elementary in Abilene, Texas, a playground sign is helping children talk to each other, and it carries the name of a boy they still miss.
It has been almost two years since 11-year-old Caleb Devereaux Jr., known as “Junior,” died from leukemia. His family, friends and neighbors say his memory has not faded.
“He taught me a lot about how to be friendly to everyone, to hearing people and deaf people, and build those friendships, and also to see students as the whole person,” Junior’s former teacher, Letabeth Machogu, told ABC affiliate KTXS12. “Yes, we’re learning academics, but we can take time to be fun and be silly, too. Yeah, it’s really important. He means a lot to me.”
Machogu teaches deaf and hard of hearing students at Ward Elementary, where Junior was one of her students.
According to his family, Junior was deaf from an early age, but he quickly learned American Sign Language. His family said that it opened “a world of communication and connection with those around him.”
His obituary said, “Junior’s zest for life was evident in everything he did. Whether he was dancing, singing, or creating TikTok videos with his cherished sisters, Makayla and Miyah, his infectious energy and creativity were boundless.”
It also said, “His radiant smile could light up any room, and he found immense joy in spending quality time with his family and friends.”
A few months before he died, Junior had finished fifth grade.
“When I came back after he passed, I was very angry because I just kept thinking that he should be here,” Machogu said.
Last summer, Machogu installed a new playground sign at the school inspired by Junior’s playful and outgoing attitude. The sign shows the alphabet in ASL, along with hand signs for words and phrases including “friend,” “play,” “tag” and “share.”
Since the sign was installed, hearing students have been able to play more freely with deaf classmates, Machogu told KTXS12.
“They can communicate with each other directly with our students who use sign language, and then they can play together without having to have an interpreter there to facilitate all the communication,” she said. “They can have a direct friendship without having a third party. You know, that is so important.”
At the top of the sign are the words, “In loving memory of Caleb Jr.”
“I think he’d be proud,” Machogu said. “I picture him looking at me like, ‘Thank you, I love it.’ That’s what he would say.”
The story of the sign lines up with a point made by MJ Grein, an executive assistant at Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library and a former sign language interpreter.
According to the Harvard Gazette, Grein said everyone should learn sign language. Even a small number of basic signs can help connect deaf and hearing people, especially for deaf children.
“Everyone can learn sign language,” Grein told the Harvard Gazette. “Deaf people can’t learn to hear, and that’s the difference.”
At Ward Elementary, Machogu said the sign gives students a way to communicate directly on the playground, the kind of connection she said mattered deeply to Junior.
“They can have a direct friendship without having a third party,” Machogu said. “You know, that is so important.”
