Helen Keller In 1882 a baby girl caught a fever that was so fierce she nearly died. She survived but the fever left its mark - she could no longer see or hear. Because she could not hear she also found it very difficult to speak. So how did this child, blinded and deafened at 19 months old, grow up to become a world-famous author and public speaker? Helen Keller was born on 27 June 1880 in Alabama, the daughter of a newspaper editor. Before her illness she was a lively and healthy child with a friendly personality. She could walk and even say a few simple words. The fever cut her off from the outside world, depriving her of sight and sound. It was as if she had been thrown into