Kristin Manion P6/7

February 24, 2017

Helen Keller

It was as if I had come back to life after being dead. Helen Keller was very intelligent,

but had obstacles in her way. Keller was blind and deaf which was considered dumb. As a

child doctors thought Keller was going to die, but instead she survived blind and deaf. Helen

Keller, not only overcame her own disabilities, but also helped others around the world.

Helen Kellers life was greatly impacted at ninteen months of age. When she was less

than two years old, Keller became sick with a high fever. At the time doctors did not know what

caused it, but they thought she was going to die. After the fever went down, Kellers parents

were excited that their little girl had lived, but soon Kate Keller realized that she would not blink

or react to loud noises. Today, doctors believe that she had scarlet fever. After losing hearing and

sight, she had no way to communicate and expressed herself through screaming and tantrums.

Once she locked her mother in a pantry for hours. Helens life changed greatly over a short

period of time, but eventually she would learn to overcome it.

Helen Keller changed to become successful by learning how to communicate with others.

Keller was stubborn, always wanted her way, and threw tantrums when she didnt get her way.

Relatives described Keller as a wild beast. She was saved in 1887 when her teacher Anne

Sullivan arrived. Sullivan was determined to teach Keller, and in less than twenty-four hours

Sullivan and Keller communicated for the first time by writing d-o-l-l and c-a-k-e on each others

hands. At meals if Keller wanted food someone else had, she would grab it with her hands and

shove it into her mouth. When Sullivan arrived, she slapped her hand stopping her from taking

her food. Keller started throwing tantrums, but eventually she learned what Sullivan was doing.
Although Keller and Sullivan disagreed at the beginning, the day Sullivan arrived was Helen

Keller's souls birthday.

Keller is remembered for overcoming difficult situations with dedication. At age seven

she learned braille, and learned how to write a couple years later. That was not enough for Keller.

She wanted to learn how to speak. In 1890 Keller attended Horace Mann School for the Deaf and

took speaking classes. Later Keller was known for her many speeches. Helen Keller was also the

author of eleven books, including her most famous autobiography, The Story of My Life. Many

people, from all backgrounds, think of Helen Keller as an inspiration.

Overcoming her disabilities, Helen Keller also helped others around the world. Keller

earned many awards including the President Medal of Freedom in 1964. She changed society

with her many known speeches and books. Keller was famous for her determination helping

triumph over difficult situations. Learning how to communicate brought Keller back from the

dead.