Johanna “Anne” Mansfield Sullivan Macy a.k.a. Anne Sullivan was a strong woman for her times. She had a very rough life in the beginning and not letting that define her is amazing to me.
Anne Sullivan was the teacher who was able to succeed in finding ways to teach Helen Keller, a deaf, dumb and blind child who was having fits of rage out of frustration. Keller’s parents were at the end of their rope and turned to a school for the blind for assistance. The director of the school thought of young Anne Sullivan, just age 20 at the time and mentioned it to her. Anne left immediately to help the child. So began their 49 year relationship.
This young woman was able to do something remarkable. Something so selfless as to devote her entire life to helping another woman. I am in awe of this. She survived a rough beginning and became a remarkable human being. Yet the focus on Anne Sullivan is no where near the level of attention spent on Helen Keller’s achievements. I find this sad as the success of Helen Keller was based solely on the accomplishments of Anne Sullivan. Truly an amazing person!
photo courtesy of Perkins Museum
Here are a few links with more information on Anne Sullivan. I hope you enjoy reading about the strength and talent of this woman as much as I did.
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