Show As a Child This Beauty Was Wasa a Pitiable Cripple I II Ic I IJ i I c I 4 1 9 1 r- r i J dg S x-S x M E. E I P. P Heckman neck Heck Ill Right ht Helen Ien as nl she looks today Lets Leis In on one of her esthetic dance costumes costume Inset I man her ber stepmother N X J E. E A A. A Staff Special j MUSKOGEE Okla Dec 6 The G.-The The love I of a stepmother has worked a miracle in the little town of Muskogee ogee For the transformation of Helen Helenr miserable r r fi o i Ih vit little I creature e t mentally t iy- iy deficient Physically deformed and totally deaf t to a beautiful talented young woman has happened And an exceptional stepmother is the miracle lady CONDITION PITIABLE LE At the age of of- 12 Helens Helen's mind lay as dormant as that of a new-born new babe She could attract attention or make her wants known only through harsh sounds and simple gestures She had I spinal meningitis when when a a few months old and her c condition was pitiable I Helens Helen's own mother had hd died and her father marled again I Then the task of transformation began be be- gan It was was was' a patient loving stepmother stepmother step step- mother who undertook it ft Today Helens Helen's mental faculties are fully developed and she has baa physical poise and beauty speech dramatic dramatic dra dna matic matlo art and musical talent She has entertained large audiences with esthetic dances and And those folk who l know now her marvel when told of the handicaps she has overcome I A CO CORRECTED DIt D. D It has all happened through the senses of sight and touch her stepmother stepmother step step- stepI I mother Mrs E. E P P. Heckman explains The first attempt I 1 made to teach the child was child was to train her to make a abed abed abed bed without assistance Next I corrected corrected cor con her shuffling stumbling walk and awkward movements of ot her body The childs child's thickened tongue was the most discouraging feature and I almost despaired of ever teaching her herto herto herto to talk tall Her tongue was massaged many times a day and we had bad to bandage bandage bandage band band- age her hor jaws to keep them from g gInS gInS' In te teaching accent Mrs Heckman would grasp Helens Helen's arm and by a slight ht or by a strong pressure wo would ld in indicate the accented and the unaccented unaccented unac unac- syllables Musical tones were taught In a similar similar similar simi simi- lar way Stair steps were used to teach the g girl rl the musical scale Dr D D. M. M Handel Randel who attended Helen as a n. child says When I first saw her she was a small child I had little hope for her |