Against All Odds - The Miracle Worker

One of the greatest stories on victory and successgoverness and teacher to a seven-year-old deaf-blind
of the 19th century must be that of Annie Mansfieldand mute girl. The student was Helen Adams Keller.
Sullivan, the famous educator who was often fondlyHelen has been a very difficult child with bad
known as the "Miracle Worker".behaviors and temper tantrums. The epiphany came
Annie Sullivan was born Johanna Sullivan on April 14,for Helen Keller one summer day. Through repeated
1866 in Agawam, Massachusetts to impoverisheduse of the manual alphabet, as well as much patience
Irish immigrants. With two other siblings, Annie andand love, Annie finally managed to reach Helen. Her
her family lived in a small hovel in dire poverty.greatest achievement was to become the first
Growing up, Annie was often subjected to theperson successfully teach a deaf-blind and mute child.
physical abuse by her alcoholic father. At the age ofHelen Keller attended Radcliffe College in Cambridge
five, trachoma struck Annie, leaving her almost blind.and wrote her autobiography, entitled "The Story of
When Annie was nine, her mother died and herMy Life", which became a famous novel.
father abandoned the children. They were thenHelen Keller became one of the founders of the
shuttled between relatives.American Foundation for the Blind as well as a
Eventually, the relatives sent her and Jimmie, hernationally renowned leader for women's rights. Annie
younger, tuberculosis-stricken brother to theaccompanied her around the world on her lecture
Almshouse in Tewksbury, which was a state hometours.
for the poor. Jimmie soon died in the infirmary.Annie received several recognitions from various
Annie underwent a series of operations to fix herfoundations for her tireless teaching and commitment
eyesight but these attempts were not effective. Sheto her student. Her failing eyesight continued to
returned to the Tewksbury Almshouse against herdeteriorate until her death on October 20, 1936.
will.Although Annie was legally blind, what she had
Four years later in October 1880, she convincedaccomplished in her life is definitely much more than
state inspectors to send her to the Perkins Institutionmost able bodied people such as you and I had done.
for the Blind in South Boston. Annie's sight wasAs such, we have no excuse but to do all we can
partially restored after a series of surgeries and witheveryday.
the help of glasses. In 1886, she graduated as classWe should learn from Annie and show perseverance
valedictorian in 1886.and patience in our work and to do it with zest and
In March 1887, the 21 year-old Annie was sent bygusto!
the school's director to Tuscumbia, Alabama as