Inspirational Stories IV : Hellen Adams Keller, A Great Heroine
May 18, 2007
Tears glided down my cheeks as I reviewed this story. Those were tears of admiration. Much as I know I can continue to write on, I believe Helen Adams Keller’s indomitable spirit is best experienced by “touch”. Let her story touch you, just like it has touched me.
A Genius in A Lockup
When Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880, she was like any other normal baby. Her parents, landowners in post Civil War Alabama were very proud of her. In their eyes, she was after all their intelligent child who could speak “How do you do?” at 6 months old. However, that started to change after she contracted scarlet fever at 19 months in February 1882. When she was rescued from the brink of death, little Helen could no longer respond to the dinner bell rings or flashes of her mother’s hand in front of her eyes.
It thus became apparent that her illness has left her to be blind and deaf. And as she became further withdrawn into her own silent world, she began to lose her speech as well.
Losing her ability to communicate with her parents reduced Helen to a state of frustration and anger. She became a difficult child, throwing dishes and lamps on the floor, yelling and throwing tantrums. That behaviour gradually worsened as her parents became too soft hearted and refused to discipline her. Relatives thought she should be sent to a mental institution.
However, Helen displayed abilities that seemed to suggest that she was sound. By the time she was 5, she could use more than 60 customized hand gestures to communicate meanings of “Mother”, “Father” etc. Believing that her child could be educated, her mother brought Helen to Alexander Graham Bell on the advice from a specialist doctor. Alexander was working with the deaf at that time. It was through his contacts that a private tutor was eventually engaged to coach Helen. She was none other than Anne Sullivan. Read more
Inspirational Stories V : Whoopi Goldberg, Survivor Personified
May 23, 2007
I know a lot of you may have seen Whoopi Goldberg’s movies, but do you know what she went through before becoming a famous actress, show host, author etc etc?
Let this story reveal the journey of a survivor. A real survivor that stands true to the test of life.
No Limitations Please
As a young girl, Whoopi Goldberg knew no limitations. All thanks to her mother.
Born as Caryn Elaine Johnson on November 13, 1949, Whoopi Goldberg lived in a Manhattan housing project with her mother and younger brother Clyde. Her father left when she was very young and her mother became a nurse in order to support the family. Even though the family was poor, her mother would constantly remind them of the fact that they’re not limited by their financial conditions or colour and would try to give the best to the children. Read more
