Helen Adams Keller

Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Alabama. She was a lively and a healthy child with a friendly personality. She could walk and say a few words. In 1882 she caught a fever that was very strong, she nearly died. She did survive but the fever was so strong that she could no longer she or hear. Since she couldn't hear, she couldn't speak. She soon began to explore the world by using her senses. She would follow her mother wherever her mother went.

At the age of 7 she had invented over 60 signs by which she could talk to her with her family. At the age of 5 she began to realize she was different from other people. At her 7th birthday her parents got her a private tutor. Anne Mansfield Sullivan was her new tutor. Anne had soon realized the cause of Helen's tantrums. She knew if Anne knew how to communicate she would become a better person. Helen had soon become more gentle and had soon learned to read and write in Braille. She also learned to read people's lips. In 1890 Helen learned to speak after only one month of study.

Anne decided soon later that Helen needed more formal instruction if she was to achieve her ambition of going to college. 10 years she was able to enter Radcliffe. Helen proved to be a remarkable scholar, graduating with honors from Radcliffe College in 1904.

Helen died in 1968. An organization was set up in her name for blindness in the world today. This agency, Helen Keller International, is one of the biggest organizations working with blind people. Without the help of others Helen would have never succeeded as she did. She believed a great deal on Anne, who was with her everywhere for almost 50 years. Helen was extremely remarkable. Her biggest success was in persuading others that disability is not the end of the world.

I chose Helen Keller as my hero because I think she deserves to be looked at as a hero because she has done many things through her life and things that she succeeded at we will never forget.