Helen Keller

Little Helen Keller (eprentice.sdsu.edu/S025/HelenKeller/hkb3.jpg)

Have you ever heard about "HELEN KELLER" ? Yes, most of people knew who HELEN KELLER was. Although she had a lot of disabilities, she still changed the world. I really admire her for what she had done. That is the reason i chose her as one of my favorite heroes. Now I will tell you the story of my hero's life.

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 from the small town of Tuscumbia, Alabama. When she was a year and a half old, she was extremely ill. Her parents were very afraid. A few days later, the fever was gone but something was still very wrong. The illness had left her blind and deaf. Helen Keller, sweet little girl became a wild child. She kicked and scratched her parents when they tried to touch her. Even she yelled and screamed in a loud voice.

Mr. Bell told them about the Perkins Institution for the blind. He said that a teacher from Perkins might be able to help Helen. Then the Kellers wrote a letter to Perkins Institution. The teacher name "Anne Sullivan" wrote back. Anne agreed to come and teach Helen.

Anne Sullivan with Helen Keller (www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~sarahmorgan)

On March 3, 1887, Anne moved to Alabama. She hoped she would be able to help young Helen. Anne taught Helen many new things. She taught her to sit and eat with a knife and fork at dinner table. Anne had learned a special finger alphabet. Anne tried to teach Helen the special alphabet. Helen learned how to spell doll, cake, milk, and mug. Anne tried over and over, but Helen still did not understand.

One day, Anne and Helen went for a walk outside. Anne pumped some water and let it run over Helen's finger. Slowly she spelled the word "water" into Helen's palm. She did it again and again. Suddenly, Helen understood. Helen could spell the word "water" into Anne's palm. After that, Helen was quick to learn other words.

In May 1888, Helen learned in Perkins Institution. There Helen learned to read Braille. Patterns of raised dots stand for each letter of the alphabet. Using the Braille system, blind people can feel the letters with their fingertips. Helen learned to read. When Helen was ten years old, she met another teacher in Boston. Her name was Sarah Fuller. She taught Helen how to speak. It took a long time for Helen to improve her speech. Everyone was amazed at what Helen had learned. She was one of the first blind and deaf people to speak aloud and understand spoken words.

When she was 20 years old, she entered Radcliffe College, the women's branch of Harvard University. She was an excellent student. One day, Helen wrote a book about herself. The book called "The story of My Life". It was published when she was 22 years old and it was translated into 50 languages.

(static.flickr.com/61/198046849_04973db427.jpg)

Everybody wanted to know Helen. From 1946 and 1957, Helen and Anne went around the world. She died in her sleep in 1968. It was just a few weeks before her 88th birthday. Helen Keller's life was filled with silence and darkness. But she had the courage and determination to light her days.