Helen Keller a woman to remember

By: Arianna Toledo

Can you imagine being deaf and blind at the same time? Well, that was Helen Keller, she
defeated her disabilities and started helping people with problems. She is recognized as a
role model for everyone.

Early years
Helen Keller was born in June 27th, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. She was a happy healthy
baby who grew up on her family farm, Ivy Green, with her dad, Arthur, who worked for the
newspaper and her mother, Kate, who took care of Helen while Helen enjoyed bring with
animals. At the age of 19 months in February 1882 she became very sick, high fever and a
bad headache for several days, even though she survived soon her parents realized that she
had lost, both, hearing and sight. She tried to communicate with people around her, as well
as using special motions that would indicate what she wanted her mom and dad to do.
Despite this, she always got frustrated, that’s how she realized that she was different and
extremely difficult to let others know what she wanted. In addition she threw tantrums,
kicked and hit people in anger. That’s how her parents in the summer of 1886 they met Dr.
Alexander Graham Bell who recommended them to contact Perkins Institude for blinds in
Boston. They suggested Anne Sullivan who had been blind and recovered her sight by
surgery.

Step by step
When Helen was 7 years old on March 1887, Annie came to her home and helped her for the
next 50 years. Although Annie did almost everything, Helen didn’t understand signs and
their meaning. But one day in April 1887 everything changed, Annie Sullivan put Helen’s
hand in water, then spelled WATER in the other hand and Helen finally understood. An
entire world had opened for Helen, in many ways was one of her happiest days of her life.
Sadly in August 19th of 1896 captain Keller, so Helen’s dad, died. Despite the fact, Helen also
learned how to read entire books in Braille at 10 years, she also could use the typewriter and
know wanted to learn how to talk. Sarah Fuller who was deaf was the indicated one, she
taught Helen how to feel sound vibrations and how lips move, a few years later Helen
already knew how to talk. At sixteen she attended Raddcliff College for women in
Massachutes and graduated in 1904 with honors. Annie Sullivan was often called ‘the
miracle worker’ for the way she was able to help Helen.

Adventure destinations
Eventually Helen began to write her experiences of being deaf and blind. She first wrote a
number of articles for a magazine called ‘‘Ladies home journal. ’’ Theas articles were
published together in a book called ‘‘the story of my life. ’’ And in March of 1903 John Albert
Macy who was an editor published another book of Helen called ‘‘the world I live in. ’’By the
passing of years Helen grew older and wanted to help other people like herself and give
happiness, so joined the American Foundation for Blind and traveled the country giving
speeches and raising money for the foundation. During the World War 2 she visited with
wounded army soldiers encouraging them not to give up. Helen spend much of her life
working to raise money and awareness for people disabilities, especially deaf and blind.
Helen became famous and met with every president of the United States from Grover
Cleveland to Lindon Johnson. And became very friend of Alexander Graham Bell. Helen
started a movie called deliverance about herself, although critics like the movie, not many
went to see it. In June 1921 Kate Keller, Helen’s mother died as well as John Massey in
Pennsylvania in August 1932. One day President Roosevelt recognized the power of Helen’s
influence and declared ‘anything Helen Keller is for, I am for’’. In addition, in October 20 of
1936 Annie Sullivan dies.

Final interesting steps

She wrote a lot more books such as a book called ‘’Teacher about Annie Sullivan’s life” and
two films about Helen Keller that won academic awards, one was a documentary called ‘’The
unconquered ‘’ in 1954 and the other one in 1962, a drama called “The Miracle Worker” as
Annie Sullivan said, ‘’education in the light of present day knowledge and need calls for
some sprinted and creative innovations both in substance and the purpose of current
pedagogy.’’ Years later in March 21st of 1960 Polly Thomson dies. That’s how Helen Keller
said, ’’I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than alone in the light.’’ Sadly a few
weeks before her 88th birthday, she died and her ashes were placed next to her companions,
Anne Sullivan Macy and Polly Thomson, in St. Joseph’s chapel in Washington Cathedral.
Finally a senator Hister Hill of Alabama gave a speech during a memorial service and said,’’
She will live on, one of the few, the immortal names not born to die. Her spirit will endure as
long as man can read and stories can be told of the woman who showed the world there are
no boundaries to courage and faith.’’