A young deaf girl was able to share her Christmas list withSanta Clausfor the first time, thanks to an elf who knew sign language.
Getty

Speaking with SWNS, Tanya, 35, said, “It was just a magical experience. Emily being able to communicate freely with the elf and tell Santa what she wanted was just amazing.”
She added, “After the experience I was in tears, it was so magical to see Emily’s face light up.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to SWNS, Tanya had previously taken her young daughter to meet Santa numerous times over the years, and though she was always promised to be connected with a worker who knew sign language, it never worked out.
Christmas tree.Getty

This time around, however, she noted that Boyeson “was so encouraging,” despite Emily being “a little bit shy, probably because she’s never been able to communicate with Santa before.”
Tanya added that she was also able to “be in the moment” and watch her daughter’s excitement, noting, “I was able to enjoy it instead.“The special moment, SWNS said, was made possible thanks to Airmyn Park Primary School and Natalie Dodds, the school’s headteacher, who put out an ask for help after she heard about Tanya’s struggle.
“Through the power of Facebook we found Holly the Elf, whose real name is Melanie Boyeson, and she volunteered to visit our grotto and interpret for Emily,” Dodds said, per the outlet. “Even though Emily isn’t a pupil here, she is part of our extended school family. As a small school, we are privileged to be able to embrace the wider school and village community, and we wanted to provide this experience for Emily.”
source: people.com