Helen Adams Keller was born June 27th, 1880 West Tuscumbia, Alabama, which is now a museum and sponsors a annual Helen Keller day. She was an American author, political activist and lecturer. Helen was not only the first women but the first person who was deaf and blind to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree. Even though Helen was deaf and blind she did not let that stop her from being the great women that she was. She not only campaigned for the women's suffrage, labor right and socialism but she was also inducted into the Alabama Women's hall of Fame in 1971. .
Helen was like any other child growing up she had two younger siblings and two older half brothers. I believe she was influenced by her father when writing since her father too was a writer. Well to be exact he was an editor for the Tuscumbia North Alabamian. When Helen was born she was able to see and hear both just fine, it was not until when Helen turned just about 19 months when she got really sick and the doctors thought it was scarlet fever or even meningitis. The doctors at that time described it as " an acute congestion of the stomach and the brain" whatever it was it caused Helen to not only go deaf but blind as well. When this happened the only person that Helen could communicate with was the family cook's daughter. When Helen reach age seven she could only communicate with her family with 60 " home signs". .
Helens family did all they could to help their daughter and that is when they found a 20 year old visually impaired women name Anne Sullivan to become Helens teacher. Anne and Helen not only became companions but their friendship lasted 49 years. Even though when Anne first started teaching Helen in march of 1887 was difficult because Helen would become easily frustrated Sullivan kept on teaching her. In 1888 keller would first attend perkins Institute for the blind, then in 1894 she would go on to attend Wright-humason school for the Deaf and all this Sullivan at her side.
