The Difficult Challenges In Alice Cogswell's Life

Alice Cogswell overcame many difficult challenges in her lifetime. Most deaf children were treated poorly in the 1800’s. They were thought to not be able to read or write by most of the world. Some people even believed that being deaf was a curse for bad behavior. Alice was 2 years old when her life changed forever. She was no longer able to communicate with her siblings or her father, luckily her father was not going to give up on her that easily.
Alice was born on August 21, 1805 in Connecticut. Her father was Dr. Mason Cogswell. He was a surgeon and was the first surgeon to remove cataracts from the eyes. When Alice was two years old she came down with “spotted fever” which was a type of meningitis. She was no longer able to hear and later she was no longer able to speak as well. Her brothers and sister would not try to talk or play with her anymore because they did not think that she was able to do so. When she was 9 years old Alice had a new next door neighbor move in. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was his name, he would change Alice’s life forever.
She was fascinated with music and spent a long time trying to understand it. She loved when her parents threw parties at their house. Some of her favorite hobbies were reading, sewing, and dancing. Alice loved her father, so when he died on December 10, 1830, Alice was completely devastated. Her heart was broken. Shortly after her father died, Alice suffered from delirium. She would die from delirium on December 30, 1830, but many believe from a broken heart. She was just 25 years old when her father died and then also when she died. Despite her short life, Alice had a legacy that she left behind. She has shown the world that whatever they thought about the deaf was not true. She broke the stereotype of deaf people. Alice was very much responsible for the start of deaf culture in the United States of America. She has had many statues put in place in her honor all across the