To concertgoers who filmed the moment and the millions of people who watched it later online, it was a sweet gesture. To father and daughter Karri and Darrin Carberry, the viral video isn’t so different from their everyday life.
At a Three Days Grace concert on Wednesday, Karri was filmed signing the lyrics of “Just Like You” to her hearing-impaired father.
“We were in the crowd having a good time and it just started happening,” she recalled. “It just started flowing.”
Darrin has been hearing impaired since birth. A hearing aid helps but—as is seen in the video—is nothing compared to his 19-year-old daughter.
“We had never sign languaged in front of the people like that. It was nervous, but it was beautiful,” the father said.
“I’m so happy. She signed so good.”
The Carberrys knew they were being recorded, but didn’t think much of it—until they saw the world’s response.
The video has been viewed over 15 million times, and tens of thousands have left them nice comments. Three Days Grace even tweeted the video, and the band’s drummer messaged Karri calling her exchange with Darrin “beautiful.”
“Cool man,” Darrin said, curving his hands into a heart at his chest.
Darrin’s wife Cori is also hearing impaired. Their three kids are not. Because others haven’t always been nice to the family, the public’s reaction has meant a lot to them.
“It was crowded and we were doing our thing and then there was a huge circle around us, and people were high fiving us and hugging us. People we didn’t even know,” Karri said. “Cool vibes all around.”
Although their connection has been shared around the world, the duo said they’ve never felt closer.
With files from Sean Amato
