In 1880, a little girl named Helen Keller was born much to the delight of her parents. Unfortunately, she fell ill with the dreaded scarlet fever. Her mother nursed and saved her life, but the fever left her blind and deaf. Helen was sad. However, when she turned seven, a young blind woman named Annie Sullivan transformed her life. “I will teach this lively and intelligent girl,” Annie promised Helen’s parents. Like other deaf people, Helen could not hear her own voice, and had to be taught to speak. Soon, she learnt to speak English and eventually French and German as well! Helen learnt to read with her fingertips from raised letters, and also in the system of dots known as Braille. She studied at Radcliffe College in Boston, and graduated with honours in 1904. Helen lectured in every continent and raised large sums of money for the blind and the deaf. She became an inspiration to all the physically challenged people of the world.
An Inspiration to All
