Marie Heurtin was a remarkable woman who overcame the challenges of being born deaf and blind in the 19th century. She learned to communicate, read, write, and even teach other deafblind girls at a convent near Poitiers, France. But how did she die and what was the cause of her death?
Early Life and Education
Marie Heurtin was born on April 13, 1885 in Vertou, Loire-Inférieure, to a poor family of coopers. She was the first of nine children, but only six survived past infancy. Several of her siblings were also born with sensory impairments, including her younger sister Marthe, who was also deafblind
Marie spent the first ten years of her life isolated and frustrated, unable to communicate with the world around her. She was described as having “passionate outbursts of despair and rage” In March 1895, her father brought her to the Notre Dame de Larnay, a school for deaf girls run by Catholic nuns, where two deafblind girls had been taught before
There, she met Sister Sainte-Marguerite, who became her caretaker and teacher. Sister Sainte-Marguerite taught Marie tactile signing, Braille, and other subjects, using various methods and materials. She also introduced Marie to abstract concepts like death and God Marie learned to communicate in six ways: by signs, fingerspelling, reading the Braille and Ballu alphabets, and by writing with a pencil and typing with a typewriter
Achievements and Legacy
Marie Heurtin was one of the first deafblind people to receive formal education and to achieve a high level of literacy and knowledge. She was particularly fond of geography, using tactile maps to explore the terrain of France and Europe She also learned to knit, sew, and do household chores
As a young adult, Marie helped educate other deafblind girls at the convent, including her sister Marthe. She became a role model and a guide for them, sharing her experiences and skills She also inspired many people who visited or wrote about her, such as Louis Arnould, a professor and teacher of the deafblind, who published a book about her titled Une Âme en Prison (An Imprisoned Soul) in 1900
Marie Heurtin’s story was adapted into several films, plays, and books, such as the 2014 French film Marie’s Story, directed by Jean-Pierre Ameris. Her life and achievements are also commemorated at the Larnay Institute, which still operates today as a school and a home for deaf and deafblind children and adults.
Cause of Death
Marie Heurtin died on July 22, 1921, at the age of 36, at the Larnay Institute. The cause of her death was pulmonary congestion, or pneumonia, a common and often fatal infection of the lungs. She contracted the disease after catching measles, along with her sister Marthe, who survived
Marie Heurtin was buried at the Larnay cemetery, next to Sister Sainte-Marguerite, who had died in 1914 Her grave is marked with a simple cross and a plaque that reads: “Marie Heurtin, 1885-1921, deaf and blind from birth, she learned to speak to God and men”.
Marie Heurtin’s life and death are a testament to the power of human resilience, compassion, and faith. She overcame the obstacles of her condition and became a remarkable woman who touched the lives of many. She is remembered as the French Helen Keller, a pioneer and a heroine of deafblind education.
