1887 HELEN KELLER MEETS HER TUTOR, ANNE SULLIVAN
In what Keller later called her "soul’s birthday", Anne Sullivan meets her career-defining student for the very first time, beginning 49 years of true friendship - and freeing Helen’s mind from its shackles
Young teacher Anne Sullivan was struggling with her unruly sixyear-old pupil, Helen Keller. The child had been deafblind since she was a baby, unable to see or hear anything around her, imprisoned in her own mind. Sullivan was trying to teach her to communicate, but was making little progress. Then one day, an epiphany - Anne took Helen to the water pump and ran the cool liquid over her hand, while writing the word in the child’s opposite palm. Helen finally understood what her teacher had been trying to get across - a moment that would forever change what it meant to be hearing and visually impaired.