Helen Keller

     

Helen Keller

     Helen Keller was born June 27th, 1880 in Tuscumbia Alabama. Contrary to popular belief, Helen was born  healthy child without any handicaps.

     Family

     Helen's family descended from Casper Keller of Switzerland and granddaughter of Alexander Moore of Virginia. Helene's father, Arthur Keller, was in the confederate army and served as captain. Her mother, Kate Adams, was his second wife. Helen had one sister, Mildred who was younger than her.     

Childhood & School

      Helen was a healthy baby for the first year of her life, however February when she was only 19 months old she got sick. Acute congestion of the brain and stomach mixed with a high fever caused her to lose all sight and hearing. Helen felt like she was left in the dark, quite literally, and the only thing she could cling to was her mother's dress. Helen quickly learned subtle ways of communication such as nodding or imitating acts to show what she wants. Although she was impaired of seeing or hearing, Helen managed to make a friend. Martha, the servant's daughter and her would often get into mischief. Martha was one of Helen's only childhood friends.

      In 1886 Helen traveled to Washington where she met Alexander Grahm Bell. By meeting Dr.Bell, Helen hoped there was a chance for her to learn to speak and understand language. He told Helen of other cases where deaf and blind children learned these tasks. She felt a glimmer of hope and joy rise inside her at the thought of becoming like a normal child. Helen was set up with Miss, a teacher that would meet with her and teach her how to read and eventually speak. Miss Sullivan would write words with her index finger on Helen's arm to teach her. Helen's first words that she learned to spell were pin, hat, cup, sit, stand, walk, and doll. The summer of 1887 was when Helen really blossomed and learned to explore, she calls it "her souls awakening". The word love was a difficult concept for Helen to learn. Eventually Miss Sullivan explained it as invisible lines stretching between her spirit and the spirit of others. Helen says that everything good that she is, is because of her beloved teacher Miss Sullivan.