Helen Keller

Helen Keller at a young age (http://nielsonbiographies.blogspot.com/ )

A baby girl was born with full sight and hearing. Her parents - Captain Arthur Henley Keller and Kate Adams Keller - named her Helen, Helen Keller. She was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, and died on June 01, 1968 in Westport, Connecticut, United States. Unfortunately, at the age of nine months she fell ill, and the doctors called it brain fever. After becoming both deaf and blind, who would have known this girl is going to be one of the few people who defeated their disease and became famous? Anne Sullivan, Keller's teacher, helped Helen Keller throughout her life; she taught her many things Keller benefited from during her life. Anne plays a huge role in Keller's life and achievements. Miss Helen did not allow her disabilities to come in her way of helping others and being intelligent. She might have struggled at the beginning, but she didn't give up on what she believed in. Keller felt unsatisfied by only helping herself. She set up organizations for deaf and blind, and she was willing to help them till the end. Keller deserves to be a hero for all the courage, humbleness, and intelligence she shows us, and how she defies her disease by reading and writing. Until now, people look up to her and find her as a true hero.

Keller studying and reading like everyone else (http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/IH167599/writer-helen-keller-holding-braille-book-in/?ext=1)

Helen Keller is a hero for the many traits she managed to have; one of them is strength and courage. In spite of her disabilities, Keller insisted on learning how to read and write. "When Helen was 13, Keller and Anne moved to New York City. There Helen attended the Wright-Humason school for the deaf. She was the only student who was deaf and blind. In class, Anne read everything and signed what she read into Helen's hand. Helen devoured information and became able to communicate with other adults and children. She was even learning how to speak" (Helen Keller Kids Museum). It takes a lot of courage and strength not only, to join a school being the only one who's deaf and blind, but also to be able to communicate with others and achieve important things. Keller, with the help of Anne Sullivan, showed courage by allowing her teacher to stay by her side and guide her through the way. Ms. Helen wanted more than just going to school and learning, she wanted to continue studying and went to college. "Even when she was a little girl, Helen Keller said, "Someday I shall go to college." And go to college she did. In 1898 she entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies to prepare for Radcliffe College. She entered Radcliffe in the fall of 1900 and received her Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in 1904. Throughout these years and until her own death in 1936, Anne Sullivan was always by Keller's side, laboriously spelling book after book and lecture after lecture, into her pupil's hand" (American Foundation for the Blind). Keller didn't give up, she continued to learn and read with the help of her teacher. And, she didn't let her disabilities keep her from going to college and earning her B.A. degree. Radcliffe College was considered one of the important colleges, and Keller was able to go and join with the other students. Nevertheless, Keller was courage in more than one way, and it shows through all the activities she was doing.

Keller, known for her humbleness, never bragged about anything and always wanted to help others. Keller needed help throughout her life to do some things, but on the other side, she helped many people and stood by their side. "We are never really happy until we try to brighten the lives of others" (Keller). Miss Keller shows humbleness by caring for others and wanting to help them. She also shows humbleness by saying; her own happiness was based on the life of others. She loved to assist others in more than one way even though she had her own problems which she needed help with. Keller also participated in many foundations to help the deaf and blind. "As broad and wide ranging as her interests were, Helen Keller never lost sight of the needs of other blind and deaf-blind individuals. From her youth, she was always willing to help them by appearing before legislatures, giving lectures, writing articles, and above all, by her own example of what a severely disabled person could accomplish. When the American Foundation for the Blind, the national clearinghouse for information on blindness, was established in 1921, she at last had an effective national outlet for her efforts. From 1924 until her death she was a member of the Foundation staff, serving as counselor on national and international relations. It was also in 1924 that Miss Keller began her campaign to raise the "Helen Keller Endowment Fund" for the Foundation" (American Foundation for the Blind). Keller didn't think it's enough to only help herself she wanted to help others and was always participating in the foundations. She accomplished many things, more than a normal person would do. Keller's humbleness helped many people around the world, and even if she's dead now, people still benefit from the things she did.

Keller enjoying music by sensing the vibrations (http://www.afb.org/braillebug/hkgallery.asp?frameid=61)

Keller's intelligence helped her go to colleges and universities, and read and write books. Keller was able to enjoy music by feeling the vibrations, which is an obvious sign of the intelligence she had. "Keller loved all aspects of life, not just the political and social causes she fought for. She enjoyed good food and wine, and she appreciated beautiful things. Keller had very keen senses, including an extraordinary sense of touch. She listens to the music by feeling the vibrations of the opera singer's lips and throat with her left hand. Keller's right hand moves in perfect time with the music" (Keller Keller Kids Museum). Helen Keller was able to enjoy music by touching and feeling the vibrations of the opera singer's lips and throat with the left hand. While the other hand was busy moving in perfect time with the music. It takes extreme intelligence to do such a thing and to feel music, but Keller was able to do it and enjoy the beautiful things in life even though she deaf and blind. Keller studied and learned at important places where she earned her B.A. degrees and wrote books. "Helen Keller's formal schooling ended when she received her B.A. degree, but throughout her life she continued to study and stay informed on all matters of importance to modern people. In recognition of her wide knowledge and many scholarly achievements, she received honorary doctoral degrees from Temple University and Harvard University and from the Universities of Glasgow, Scotland; Berlin, Germany; Delhi, India; and Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. She was also an Honorary Fellow of the Educational Institute of Scotland. While still a student at Radcliffe, Helen Keller began a writing career that was to continue on and off for 50 years. In 1903, The Story of My Life, which had first appeared in serial form in the Ladies Home Journal, appeared in book form. This was always to be the most popular of her works and today is available in more than 50 languages, including Marathi, Pushtu, Tagalog, and Vedu. It is also available in several paperback editions in the United States" (American Foundation for the Blind). Keller was so intelligent she was able to publish a book and people translated it to 50 different languages. She also attended different universities and colleges and graduated from them. Her intelligence was a cause of her achievements, and she deserved the attention she had for all the progress she made throughout her life. As a result, Keller's dedication and brains guided her on the way to success, and all the good things that happened, with Keller, are deserved.

Helen Keller was known for being a hero for all the courage, humbleness, and intelligence she had. She also defies her disease and helped others; that is why people look up to her as a hero. Keller's courage helped her study and go to important universities. Her humbleness assisted many people and gave them hope. Also, her intelligence was a benefit for her and others. Keller is an inspiration for me and many others because she gives us hope knowing that no matter what problems we have, they won't stop you from accomplishing your dreams. And, the key to success is patience. Even if you fail at the beginning don't give up, but keep on trying and you'll achieve what you're planning for. Last but not least, Helen Keller is a real hero in every single way. She helped an infinite number of people, and she encourages them to do many things. Keller will always be my hero for everything she did and people will always find her not only as hero, but also as a legend.

"Helen Keller - American Foundation for the Blind." American Foundation for the Blind – Home Page. Web. 11 May 2011. http://www.afb.org/section.asp?SectionID=1.

"Helen Keller Kids Museum." American Foundation for the Blind - Home Page. Web. 11 May 2011. http://www.afb.org/braillebug/hkmuseum.asp.

Helen Keller-RNIB. RNIB. Web. 04 May 2011. http://www.rnib.org.uk/aboutus/aboutsightloss/famous/Pages/helenkeller.aspx.

"Helen Listening to an Opera Singer - World Leader 1946-1968 - Helen Keller Kids Museum." American Foundation for the Blind - Home Page. Web. 19 May 2011. http://www.afb.org/braillebug/hkgallery.asp?frameid=61.

Third Grade Biography Reports. Web. 19 May 2011. http://nielsonbiographies.blogspot.com/. "Writer Helen Keller Holding Braille Book in Study - Rights Managed - Corbis." Corbis Images – Premium Quality Stock Photography and Illustrations. Web. 19 May 2011. .