>
> One Person
>
> Dr. Frank Mayfield was touring Tewksbury Institute when, on his
> way out, he accidentally collided with an elderly floor maid.
> To cover the awkward moment Dr.Mayfield started asking ques-
> tions, "How long have you worked here?"
>
> "I've worked here almost since the place opened," the maid
> replied.
>
> "What can you tell me about the history of this place?" he asked.
>
> "I don't think I can tell you anything, but I could show you
> something."
>
> With that, she took his hand and led him down to the basement
> under the oldest section of the building. She pointed to one of
> what looked like small prison cells; their iron bars rusted with
> age, and said, "That's the cage where they used to keep Annie."
>
> "Who's Annie?" the doctor asked.
>
> "Annie was a young girl who was brought in here because she was
> incorrigible - which means nobody could do anything with her.
> She'd bite and scream and throw her food at people. The doctors
> and nurses couldn't even examine her or anything. Iâd see them
> trying with her spitting and scratching at them. I was only a
> few years younger than her myself and I used to think, 'I sure
> would hate to be locked up in a cage like that.' I wanted to help
> her, but I didn't have any idea what I could do. I mean,if the
> doctors and nurses couldn't help her, what could someone like
> me do?
>
> "I didn't know what else to do, so I just baked her some brownies
> one night after work.The next day I brought them in.I walked
> carefully to her cage and said, 'Annie I baked these brownies
> just for you.I'll put them right here on the floor and you can
> come and get them if you want.' Then I got out of there just as
> fast as I could because I was afraid she might throw them at
> me. But she didn't.She actually took the brownies and ate them.
>
> "After that, she was just a little bit nicer to me when I was
> around. And sometimes I'd talk to her. Once, I even got her
> laughing. One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doctor.
> They asked me if I'd help them with Annie.I said I would if I
> could. So that's how it came about that every time they wanted to
> see Annie or examine her, I went into the cage first and explained
> and calmed her down and held her hand. Which is how they disco-
> vered that Annie was almost blind."
>
> After they'd been working with her for about a year - and it was
> tough sledding with Annie - the Perkins institute for the Blind
> opened its doors. They were able to help her and she went on to
> study and became a teacher herself.
>
> Annie came back to the Tewksbury Institute to visit, and to see
> what she could do to help out. At first, the Director didn't say
> anything and then he thought about a letter he'd just received.
> A man had written to him about his daughter. She was absolutely
> unruly - almost like an animal.
>
> He'd been told she was blind and deaf as well as 'deranged' He
> was at his wit's end, but he didn't want to put her in an asylum.
> So he wrote here to ask if we knew of anyone - any teacher -
> who would come to his house and work with his daughter.
>
> And that is how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong companion of
> Helen Keller.
>
> When Helen Keller received the Nobel Prize, she was asked who
> had the greatest impact on her life and she said, "Annie Sullivan."
> But Annie said, "No Helen. The woman who had the greatest in-
> fluence on both our lives was a floor maid at the Tewksbury
> Institute."
>
> History is changed when one person asks, what can someone like me
> do?
>
> Author Unknown
>
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