Helen Keller Essay

Submitted By PeggieLich
Words: 803
Pages: 4

Header: HELEN KELLER
HELEN KELLER
By
Peggie Lichtenberger
American InterContinental University
Instructor Merle Heckman
09/22/2013
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Helen Keller was a phenomenal woman. I would like to tell you why I have chosen Miss Keller as my topic. I have a sister who is deaf. She also developed a high fever at a very early age. My sister was three when she went deaf. At the age of five the Dr.’s wanted to put her in a hospital because they said she also had brain damage and wouldn’t be able to remember things. She was refused hearing aids; my parents were finally able to buy her a pair when she was 18, now they say if she would have had them at an earlier age she might have been able to speak. My parents were never taught sign language, but I took a college course after I graduated from high school, I am the only one in my family that can communicate with my sister. I speak just enough sign language so I can explain to her what is going on around her. She and I are going to be moving in together after the 1st of October, because our dad is 83 and he is getting too old to take care of her. I am the youngest and she is 3 years older than me, so it should work out just fine, plus we get along great.
Miss Keller went deaf and blind at the early age of 19 months, due to a high fever. Dr.’s now days are saying it was caused by either Scarlet Fever or Meningitis. Back in those days the Dr.’s called it “brain fever”. Helen was born on June 27, 1880 to a retired Army Captain and his second wife Kate, who was a well, educated young lady from Memphis. They lived in Tuscumbia, Alabama and Helen had a younger brother and sister, Phillips Brooks and Mildred.
Helen had developed approximately 60 hand gestures on her own as to communicate with her family. When she couldn’t communicate Helen became very frustrated and would throw terrible tantrums. Helen was 7 when her teacher Anne Sullivan came to start working with Helen. Miss Sullivan and Helen remained friends for 50 years, until Mrs. Sullivan-Macy’s passing on
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October 20th, 1936. Before her passing Miss Sullivan took Helen to her school which was Perkins School for the Blind, where Helen studied for 4 years. Helen then spent 1 year at Cambridge School for Young Ladies to prepare her for Radcliff College. Helens studies included history, economics, foreign languages, which include French, German, and Latin. Helen also engaged in politics and world events. Some of Keller’s accomplishments include being the first deaf blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree, Keller was also the first woman to be awarded an honorary degree from Harvard University. Helen also received honorary degrees from Temple University, and the Universities of Glasgow, Scotland; Delhi, India; Berlin, Germany; and Witwatersrand and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Helen used her education to help influence the lives of others. She published essays and books about her life. Helen spent most of her time lobbying for social issues, such as women’s suffrage and assistance for people who are deaf blind.