<p>Helen Keller was only 18 months old when she lost her sight and hearing due to a grave illness. Yet, beating all odds, she became the world’s first blind-deaf person to earn a bachelor’s degree in arts. She also rose to be an author and a political activist. On her tour to England, Queen Victoria is said to have asked, “Though you were both blind and deaf, how did you accomplish so much?” To this Helen replied, “If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.”</p>.<p>Anne Sullivan, who was Helen’s teacher, played an outstanding role in developing Helen. She became the force behind Helen’s achievements notwithstanding the fact that she was almost sightless herself and her own life was filled with many childhood struggles. Anne lost her mother when she was very small. Her father left her and her younger brother Jimmie, in an overcrowded home for the destitute. When Jimmie too died soon after, a grief stricken Anne was considered hopelessly “insane” by her caregivers and locked in the basement.</p>.<p>An elderly nurse, however, showed kindness and spoke words of love and encouragement to Anne. This transformed her and she was finally released from the home to attend Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. There she learnt to read and write and eventually graduated as valedictorian of her class. Young Anne was full of desire to help others as she herself was helped by a loving nurse. Her chance came when she was sent to teach Helen Keller, to whom she showed the same compassion that she had received while she was in despair. This worked wonders for Helen and the rest is history.</p>.<p>Helen’s success thus was indirectly linked to the loving influence of an unknown nurse. This highlights the fact that though we will never know how far our influence can reach, we are all called to show it through love and kindness to everyone whose path we may cross. Our influence on the lives of others is immeasurable and can transform even the most hopeless life into a fruitful one.</p>
<p>Helen Keller was only 18 months old when she lost her sight and hearing due to a grave illness. Yet, beating all odds, she became the world’s first blind-deaf person to earn a bachelor’s degree in arts. She also rose to be an author and a political activist. On her tour to England, Queen Victoria is said to have asked, “Though you were both blind and deaf, how did you accomplish so much?” To this Helen replied, “If it had not been for Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would have remained unknown.”</p>.<p>Anne Sullivan, who was Helen’s teacher, played an outstanding role in developing Helen. She became the force behind Helen’s achievements notwithstanding the fact that she was almost sightless herself and her own life was filled with many childhood struggles. Anne lost her mother when she was very small. Her father left her and her younger brother Jimmie, in an overcrowded home for the destitute. When Jimmie too died soon after, a grief stricken Anne was considered hopelessly “insane” by her caregivers and locked in the basement.</p>.<p>An elderly nurse, however, showed kindness and spoke words of love and encouragement to Anne. This transformed her and she was finally released from the home to attend Perkins School for the Blind in Boston. There she learnt to read and write and eventually graduated as valedictorian of her class. Young Anne was full of desire to help others as she herself was helped by a loving nurse. Her chance came when she was sent to teach Helen Keller, to whom she showed the same compassion that she had received while she was in despair. This worked wonders for Helen and the rest is history.</p>.<p>Helen’s success thus was indirectly linked to the loving influence of an unknown nurse. This highlights the fact that though we will never know how far our influence can reach, we are all called to show it through love and kindness to everyone whose path we may cross. Our influence on the lives of others is immeasurable and can transform even the most hopeless life into a fruitful one.</p>