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The Helen Keller Story


 
See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The Louis Braille Story.
Life Lesson #36 – Look for the Good.

 

It was 1882, and Helen was not even two years old when she became very, very sick. Her illness left her both deaf and blind. Helen became a little girl who lived in a very dark, very lonely world. Of course, her family loved her and took good care of her, but they needed a great deal of help with their baby girl.

Helen was seven years old when someone very special came into her life—a teacher named Anne Sullivan. It wasn’t long until she would become Helen’s very best friend. Miss Sullivan knew a special way to teach words by spelling them out on Helen’s hand. For example, the first word Helen understood was W-A-T-E-R. The teacher would put one of Helen’s hands in water, then quickly made the letters in Helen’s other hand. Right after learning the word “water,” Helen found all sorts of things to learn. In fact, in one day, she learned 30 words. Soon, she began feeling of Miss Sullivan’s mouth when she talked trying to understand how the teacher formed words. And then Helen learned how to speak.

Helen Keller never stopped learning. She learned how to read and write in braille. In fact, she learned several different languages. And then, she went to college and even wrote a book about the story of her life. She continued to write books and articles, and she made many speeches helping to raise money for blind people around the world. Even though she was not able to see or hear, Helen Keller was a true HERO who never gave up on learning for herself or for others.

– Jim Lord