Samuel Spencer: Baby on Santa's Lap Signs 'Help'

Samuel Spencer, a baby who signed "help" during a photo with Santa Claus, has lit up social media, getting more than 6,800 retweets on Twitter some 26,000 likes.

Kerry Spencer, of Owing Mills, Maryland, taught her son Samuel to say "help" in sign language and the toddler was caught in the photo using it with Santa when he was 1 year old.

While Samuel is now 13, his mother has continued to share the photo that was taken at the Provo Town Center Mall in Utah, International Business Times reported. 

We taught our baby sign language. This is the sign for "help." You're welcome. pic.twitter.com/i6NkxBf4KP

— Kerry Spencer (@Swilua) December 5, 2017

While some argued on social media the sign may have been a little off, Spencer clarified it was Samuel's "baby sign" version of the American Sign Language symbol.

In baby sign you go with what they do. We showed him the ASL version and this is what he did.

— Kerry Spencer (@Swilua) December 6, 2017

Instead of trying to share cheer with a humorous photo of her son, Spencer ran into some critics online.

i’m aware of what the sign “help” is 😂 his face says it, but his hands didn’t 😂

— meg (@meggggggyyy) December 9, 2017

Hey, I can appreciate that and I love that you’re teaching him sign. I just want it to be clear that this isn’t the actual sign. I don’t want a bunch people going around doing a mispronunciation of the sign and thinking it’s right.

— Erin (@erinlindseyt) December 8, 2017

Doesn't look like BSL help at all. Just looks like he's nervous.  https://t.co/8fCCAguJYD

— Heather (@fivemonkeysplu1) December 10, 2017

Some, though, came to Spencer's defense.

My brother learned some sign language in the 1970s when he was preschool age. Great way to communicate.  Sweet picture.

— Rhoda G. Penny (@RhodaPenny) December 6, 2017

It's so, so good.

— Rachel Hunt Steenblik (@rachelsteenblik) December 6, 2017

This. Is. The. Best.

— Lady Prince (@MormCd) December 5, 2017

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