Your Story Hour

Aunt Nikki: Hey everybody, come on! Your Story Hour's on. Welcome to Your Story Hour. I'm Aunt Nikki.

Uncle Jon: And I'm Uncle Jon, and we're here to bring you today's inspiring story. Aunt Nikki, you look particularly excited about today's story.

Aunt Nikki: I guess I am, Uncle Jon. Our story is about Anne Carlson, or as a lot of people called her as an adult, Dr. Carlson. She was born without hands and feet and was missing a big part of her arms and legs, too.

Uncle Jon: Oh, that must have made life pretty difficult.

Aunt Nikki: Yes, it did. But despite the challenges, she worked hard to achieve her dreams and make a difference in the world.

Uncle Jon: You said people called her Dr. Carlson. Was she a medical doctor?

Aunt Nikki: No, Dr. Carlson was a teacher. She completed her PhD, or Doctorate of Philosophy, which means she earned the title of doctor.

Uncle Jon: Ah, that kind of doctor. What school did she teach at?

Aunt Nikki: Well, originally, it was called the Good Samaritan School for Crippled Children.

Uncle Jon: Oh, I didn't think "crippled" was a very nice word to say.

Aunt Nikki: That's true. The meaning of words changes over time. Nowadays, most people say "a person with disabilities." However, in Dr. Carlson's day, "crippled" was the word they used to describe someone who was physically disadvantaged because of an injury or birth defect.

Uncle Jon: Ah, gotcha.

Aunt Nikki: The school our hero taught at is located in Jamestown, North Dakota, and is now called the Anne Carlson Center.

Uncle Jon: Well, then, I'm interested in hearing more about this woman that had a school renamed after her.

Aunt Nikki: Let's get right to it, then. The story is called "The Little Girl Who Could."

Little Anne Helen Carlson was born in a two-room cabin with a dirt floor in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, on November 4, 1915. Her parents were Marin and Alfred Carlson, who had five children before Anne came into the picture. It's said that everyone in the room cried the day Anne was born.

Guest (Female): You have a daughter, Alfred. But I'm afraid she doesn't have any hands or feet.

Alfred Carlson: Dr. Bunker, we will wrap our love around this little girl and do everything we can to bring her happiness.

Dr. Bunker: I will do whatever I can to help.

Aunt Nikki: When Dr. Bunker went home that day, he told his wife about the new baby.

Guest (Female): Oh, how sad. Perhaps she won't live.

Dr. Bunker: She has as much right to live as any of us. In fact, she may prove to be a better blessing than most of us who do have hands and feet.

Uncle Jon: Anne not only survived, she thrived. Her father didn't want Anne's missing hands and feet to keep her from doing anything she wanted to do. And little Anne started feeding and dressing herself at about the same age as the other Carlson children. Her father was immensely proud.

Alfred Carlson: Anne is learning to use her arms so well, Dr. Bunker. Why, just the other day, she picked up a tiny pin off the floor with her short little arms.

Dr. Bunker: A pin?

Alfred Carlson: Yes. I really think God has something special in mind for this child.

Aunt Nikki: Sadly, Anne's mother died when she was only four years old. Twelve-year-old Clara took on most of the cooking, cleaning, and caring for her little sister. Brothers Frank, Dick, Albert, and Darby helped too.

Albert Carlson: Here, Anne, I'll open the door for you.

Uncle Jon: Anne's siblings included her in every activity: games like hide-and-seek, Pom-Pom-Pull-Away, and Prisoner's Base. If Anne couldn't pull herself along on the ground, one of them would carry her or pull her in a sled. Since they never complained or said they wished Anne were more like them, Anne didn't feel sorry for herself. But she did wish that she could run.

Anne Carlson: I want to run fast like you all bet.

Albert Carlson: I know. But hey, let's play baseball. You can be the catcher, Anne.

Anne Carlson: Okay.

Albert Carlson: And when it's your turn at bat, we'll move the bases closer together.

Aunt Nikki: Anne's father was watching one of these ball games when he got an idea.

Alfred Carlson: Children! Children! I bought a surprise for Anne at the hardware store.

Albert Carlson: What is it, Father?

Alfred Carlson: It's a kitty car, Albert. Look, Anne, you sit here. See, the steering wheel turns the front wheels, and you can push yourself along with your little legs.

Anne Carlson: I'm doing it!

Uncle Jon: Anne's childhood was full of excitement. Dr. Bunker took her to the county fair, taught her to swim, and sometimes even took her on house calls.

Dr. Bunker: So, Anne, what do you think? I'm going on rounds. Would you like to join me?

Anne Carlson: Oh, yes!

Dr. Bunker: If you sit on my lap, you can steer the car.

Anne Carlson: Really?

Dr. Bunker: Of course. Someday you will drive a car all on your own. Remember Anne, you are a whole person inside, even if you don't have hands or feet.

Anne Carlson: Yes, Dr. Bunker.

Aunt Nikki: Then, when Anne turned six years old, something happened that changed everything.

Albert Carlson: Anne, Anne, you got a letter in the mail! It's a birthday card, Anne. Open it. Look, there's a check inside. Wow, five whole dollars!

Anne Carlson: A check?

Albert Carlson: You take it to the bank, write your name on the back, and they give you money.

Anne Carlson: But I can't write my name.

Albert Carlson: Well, it's time you learn. Here, I'll write your name first. You can trace over it. A-N-N-E. Anne. Now, put this pencil between your arms. That's right, just like you hold your spoon.

Uncle Jon: Over and over, Anne traced her name. Her first attempt didn't look like much, but after a lot of practice, Anne signed the check and got her five dollars. From then on, words caught Anne's attention. She was always asking, "What's this word?" and "This one?"

Anne practiced writing words she saw in books at home. At that time, children with disabilities didn't go to school. It was assumed they weren't smart enough to learn. However, Anne's father felt strongly that Anne should receive an education just like her brothers and sister. After all, she was just as intelligent.

Anne Carlson: I want to learn everything, Father.

Alfred Carlson: Of course you do. Missing hands and feet aren't as important as having one good head on your shoulders. How would you like to go to school and get that head educated?

Anne Carlson: Oh, yes!

Aunt Nikki: When Anne turned eight, her father spoke to the principal about accepting her as a student. The principal suggested they should give Anne an intelligence test, and to his surprise, Anne correctly answered question after question—some very difficult.

Alfred Carlson: Anne, guess what? The principal says you can go to school.

Anne Carlson: Just like other children!

Uncle Jon: Anne loved learning. In fact, she passed two grades in just one year. The next year, however, Anne had surgery on her right leg to straighten it and strengthen the muscles around her knee so she could wear an artificial leg, known today as a prosthetic. Afterward, she spent a year in the hospital recovering and learning to use crutches and the prosthetic leg so she could stand.

During that year, a teacher came to the hospital so Anne could keep up with her studies. When she returned home, everyone assumed that Anne would be happy about her new artificial leg. It was wooden with a lot of straps, requiring someone else to strap it into place. And once it was on, Anne couldn't bend at the knee or hips, so she couldn't sit down. Wearing "the contraption," as Anne called it, was difficult and made walking slow and painful.

Anne Carlson: This is the awfulest thing. Please, Father, let me use the kitty car instead of the leg.

Alfred Carlson: Let's give the leg a little more time. See if you can get used to it.

Aunt Nikki: Anne tried, but she didn't get used to the leg. One day while walking home from school with her sister Clara, she couldn't take it anymore.

Clara Carlson: What's the matter, Anne?

Anne Carlson: It hurts, Clara. It's cutting into my leg.

Clara Carlson: Oh, you're bleeding! We must tell Father.

Uncle Jon: Seeing her injured leg, Anne's father relented and said she didn't have to wear the prosthetic anymore. Anne happily went back to riding in her kitty car to school. Just like before, she studied hard and completed two grades each year, finishing eighth grade by age twelve.

Around that time, Anne's father started thinking about moving closer to an orthopedic specialist. Most of Anne's siblings were already grown up, and arrangements were made for 15-year-old Darby to stay in Wisconsin to finish high school while Anne and Father moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. They lived one block away from a Christian Academy where Anne would go to school. Before the first day of classes, Anne was fitted with a new leg brace, prosthetic leg, and two prosthetic arms, which she had no intention of ever using.

Anne Carlson: I'm ready for school, Father.

Alfred Carlson: But where are your new arms?

Anne Carlson: In the back of my closet, where they shall stay. Oh, Father, I can do everything so much better without those useless things.

Aunt Nikki: Although she was glad for her new prosthetic leg, Anne felt self-conscious at school, aware of how different she looked from the other students. Slowly, Anne began to make friends, and sometimes her friends would take turns pushing her around in a wheelchair so she wouldn't have to use her prosthetic leg. When Anne was a junior, doctors amputated her left leg just below the knee. This would allow her to use two prosthetic legs instead of one.

Anne Carlson: These new legs make it so much easier to get around.

Alfred Carlson: I can see that.

Anne Carlson: And my classmates are teasing me, saying that soon I'll be challenging them to races. I think I'll take them off now that I'm home from school, though.

Alfred Carlson: Are you hurting?

Anne Carlson: Yes, but it's worth it.

Uncle Jon: Anne finished high school and her first two years of junior college at the Academy. Then she decided to get her college degree at nearby University of Minnesota. She wanted to be a teacher. On registration day, Anne went to the education department to fill out paperwork for a class schedule. She pretended she didn't notice that everyone was staring at her. After she turned in the forms, she was the only student asked to step into the office of the head of the education department.

Guest (Male): Please sit down, Miss Carlson.

Anne Carlson: Is there a problem?

Guest (Male): I'm afraid it wouldn't be prudent for you to pursue a teacher's license. It's simply too difficult for teachers to find jobs right now.

Anne Carlson: I know what's really going on. He can't see past my missing arms and legs. He didn't tell any of the other education students they won't be able to find a job.

Aunt Nikki: Uncle Jon, do you want to guess if Anne gives up on her dream of becoming a teacher?

Uncle Jon: I certainly hope she doesn't, Aunt Nikki. I believe that people should pursue their dreams even when the road gets hard.

Aunt Nikki: Me too. The biggest challenge that Anne faced was that other people didn't believe she was capable of achieving her dreams because she didn't have hands and feet. But as Anne's father told her, the more important thing was the brain between her ears.

Uncle Jon: Mm-hmm. Girls and boys, no matter what you look like or what challenges you face, you are special. Always remember that God and Aunt Nikki and I all love you very much.

Aunt Nikki: That's right. Our love for you is why Uncle Jon and I are so passionate about sharing stories with you. And Your Story Hour has a number of stories about people who overcame physical obstacles to achieve great things.

Uncle Jon: Like our stories on Fanny Crosby, who wrote more than a thousand hymns even though she was blind.

Aunt Nikki: Or Franklin Roosevelt, who became President of the United States even though he was paralyzed and in a wheelchair.

Uncle Jon: These stories and many more are on our website, YourStoryHour.org. You can buy single stories or whole albums for your collection. Or you can subscribe to Your Story Hour and listen to all of the stories online.

Aunt Nikki: Speaking of listening to stories, I think we'd better get back to Anne Carlson so Uncle Jon and you can find out whether she gives up on her dream in our story called "The Little Girl Who Could."

Anne was disappointed that people couldn't see past her disabilities. Would the head of the education department keep her from achieving her dream? Anne tried to mask her disappointment.

Anne Carlson: What do you suggest I do instead?

Guest (Male): Go speak to Dr. Williamson, the head of the University Counseling Bureau. I'll give him a call and let him know you're on your way.

Uncle Jon: Discouraged but determined to follow her dreams, Anne slowly made her way across the big campus on her crutches. Finally, she climbed to the third floor of the building where Dr. Williamson's office was located.

Dr. Williamson: I hear you want to be a teacher?

Anne Carlson: More than anything.

Dr. Williamson: Let me be frank, Miss Carlson. You would find it very difficult to find a job as a teacher. But with such splendid academic records, I'm sure we can find you some kind of a job.

Aunt Nikki: Since she liked reading so much, Dr. Williamson advised her to study English literature. Two years later, she graduated with honors and began the long, difficult process of finding a job.

Dr. Williamson: Anne, it's Dr. Williamson. I've heard of a job I think you'd be qualified for. It's at a publishing company.

Anne Carlson: Oh, thank you! I'll go speak to them right away.

Uncle Jon: Anne hooked her purse to one of her crutches and rode a streetcar to downtown St. Paul to apply for the job. Sadly, however, they didn't hire her. Nor did the next company, nor the one after. Over and over, Anne was told "No."

Guest (Male): Librarians don't just sit at desks, you know. How would you return books to the shelves? The library has such steep steps and narrow aisles.

Guest (Female): You have excellent references, but we're looking for someone with more experience.

Guest (Male): I'm sorry, we can't hire you. How would you get out of the building if there was a fire?

Aunt Nikki: Anne was frustrated. Did employers think arms and legs were more important than brains? Since she couldn't seem to find a job, her brother Frank encouraged Anne to go back to school for journalism. Sadly, a few months into the semester, her beloved father died.

Unable to afford living in St. Paul anymore, Anne quit school and moved in with her sister Clara. When she felt discouraged, she remembered a favorite Bible verse from Psalms: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."

Anne's brothers, who were always inventing things to help her, bought her a typewriter and made a pair of cuffs that fit over her short arms. At the end of the cuffs, they attached a rubber-tipped metal bar that pointed down at a right angle so she could hit the keys. Anne got right to work. Perhaps she could earn money by writing articles for magazines or newspapers.

Albert Carlson: Anne! Anne! There's a letter for you!

Anne Carlson: Oh, Clara, it's from the magazine I sent an essay to.

Clara Carlson: What does it say, Anne?

Anne Carlson: Another rejection letter. I won't give up! But I have to admit, I'm getting pretty discouraged. It's been almost two years since I graduated from college.

Uncle Jon: One day, Anne decided to call a pastor she knew from her Academy days to ask for his help.

Guest (Male): Hello?

Anne Carlson: Hello, Pastor. It's Anne Carlson.

Guest (Male): Anne! How nice to hear from you. Is there something I can do to help you in some way?

Anne Carlson: I'm having a terrible time finding work. Would you be willing to write me a letter of recommendation for a proofreading job?

Guest (Male): Why, I'd be glad to, Anne. But I thought you wanted to be a teacher?

Anne Carlson: Oh, I do! More than anything.

Guest (Male): Well, that's good, because just today I spoke to someone who's looking for a high school teacher, and I recommended you for the job.

Anne Carlson: Oh, thank you so much!

Aunt Nikki: Anne immediately called the school and requested to speak with the superintendent, saying it was an emergency and she must speak with him. Before long, she was on a train to North Dakota for an interview to teach at a school for students with disabilities. The interview went well, and Anne hurried back to Clara's house bursting with good news.

Anne Carlson: Clara! Finally, I have a job! And as a teacher, too!

Clara Carlson: Oh, Anne, your dream come true!

Anne Carlson: I'll be paid $25 a month plus given a place to live at the school and meals to eat.

Clara Carlson: Did you tell the superintendent that you weren't able to take any university education courses?

Anne Carlson: He didn't ask, and I didn't tell him.

Uncle Jon: During her first year teaching, Anne was able to take classes herself and earned her teaching license. It didn't take her long to realize she needed to know more about how children with disabilities learn best. So she went back to school to get a master's degree and then a PhD in education. Anne was now Dr. Carlson, and she was asked to serve as a school's principal, then child guidance director, and only a few years later, school administrator.

Aunt Nikki: Anne was good at her job, partly because her own disabilities helped her understand her students better. For instance, one time a group of boys scavenged up supplies to build a dock on the river near the school. Two of them were in wheelchairs, the third was on crutches, and the fourth had a halting walk. But they didn't let that stop them.

Roger: Look what I found, Harold! Nails a workman left in the park.

Harold: And I found some poles and a hatchet in the old abandoned shed in the woods, Roger. There's plenty of firewood we can use, too. Let's get building!

Uncle Jon: Building a dock was hard work, but the boys kept the school motto in mind: "Let me do it. It just may take a little longer." After working by the river for several weekends, they finally finished the dock. They were pleased with their accomplishment, but it gave them another idea. What if they built a raft so they could ride down the river?

Harold: I don't know, Roger. I don't think Dr. Carlson would let us do that.

Roger: We don't have to tell her, Harold. It will be our secret.

Aunt Nikki: With a new mission in mind, the boys got to work and built a raft. It wasn't easy to get the boys in wheelchairs on and off the raft, but they figured out a way. Every chance they got, the boys poled up and down the river catching bullheads, a type of catfish, to give to the school's cook for supper.

Then, over the last weekend in May, the boys were helping Harold lower himself out of his wheelchair down onto the raft when things started to spiral out of control.

Harold: Hold my chair steady, Roger. Almost got it. Oh, no!

Uncle Jon: Harold's wheelchair slipped out of Roger's hands and fell into the James River. The boys helplessly watched as the heavy chair sank and settled into the mud in the deep water.

Harold: My chair!

Roger: I'm so sorry, Harold!

Aunt Nikki: The boys couldn't fish the bulky wheelchair out of the river by themselves, and Harold couldn't get back to school without it. So they decided to continue their trip down the river on the raft as planned and figure out how to deal with the wheelchair later. But unbeknownst to them, someone had seen the accident and called the school.

When their fishing trip was over, they poled back to the dock only to find it full of people, including Dr. Carlson.

Harold: Dr. Carlson! I'm sorry to say my wheelchair fell in the river. It was an accident.

Roger: Yes, but we aren't sorry about making the dock or the raft. We've had such a good time.

Anne Carlson: You did beautiful work, boys.

Roger: Really?

Anne Carlson: Well, like I always say, go ahead and try. Harold, someone has already gone to the school to get you another wheelchair.

Harold: Thank you, Dr. Carlson!

Anne Carlson: But after we get back to the school, I think it would be best if we all had a chat in my office.

Roger: Yes, Dr. Carlson.

Uncle Jon: Dr. Carlson was truly proud of what the boys had accomplished. Still, she had a serious talk with them.

Anne Carlson: So, boys, while I commend you for your creative efforts and hard work, it's important to remember asking for help when needed is always a wise thing to do.

Boys: Yes, ma'am.

Aunt Nikki: When she wasn't working with students at the school, Dr. Carlson played bridge with friends, joined community clubs, and went downtown to eat pie. One of her proudest achievements was learning to drive her own specially adapted car. For Dr. Carlson, having her own car represented freedom.

In 1964, she drove a group of friends all the way to the World's Fair in New York City. Back at home in Jamestown, she often took friends on Sunday drives. One rainy day, they were exploring the hilly, sandy backroads when something unexpected happened.

Anne Carlson: Uh-oh, we're stuck.

Guest (Female): Perhaps someone will come along and push us out.

Anne Carlson: I don't believe anyone will be silly enough to be out on a day like this. We'll have to get out of this mess ourselves. Ah, what if we put those beautiful pillows you gave me under the back wheels to give us some traction?

Uncle Jon: They tried it, and it worked!

Anne Carlson: I'm so thankful we got unstuck.

Guest (Female): All thanks to your quick thinking, my friend.

Aunt Nikki: Dr. Carlson had a sharp wit and a strong sense of humor. When it was chilly, she sometimes joked that her feet were cold, though, of course, she didn't have any feet. One time, she was sitting with a group of students at the school when a visitor recognized her.

Guest (Male): Dr. Carlson, I saw your photo in a newspaper article about the school. Please, let me shake your hand.

Anne Carlson: I'm glad to meet you.

Guest (Male): Oh, the pleasure's all mine!

Uncle Jon: What the visitor didn't realize was that since Dr. Carlson didn't have hands, he had actually clasped the hand of a student sitting next to Dr. Carlson with her arm around the beloved teacher. As soon as the man was out of earshot, the room erupted in laughter.

Student: My turn, Dr. Carlson! I want to shake your hand next!

Anne Carlson: I'm so happy to meet you. What about you? Would you like to shake my hand too?

Aunt Nikki: Throughout her life, Dr. Carlson spoke passionately about things that affected people with disabilities, such as the need for curb cuts at street crossings to make it easier for wheelchairs and crutches to navigate sidewalks. Dr. Anne was invited to sit on many state and national committees, including 40 years on the US President's Committee on Employment of Disabled People.

When she found the newly installed doors at the North Dakota State Capitol building to be too difficult to open, she took the matter up at the highest level.

Guest (Female): How's your letter to the Governor coming along, Dr. Carlson?

Anne Carlson: Listen to this part: "This is a letter of protest. As a citizen who pays taxes, I resent not being able to get into the State Capitol on my own power."

Guest (Female): That's telling him!

Anne Carlson: I go on to say how easy it would be to loosen the tension on the new doors. I end it with, "At the next meeting in March, I anticipate not having any problem getting into the Capitol."

Uncle Jon: Dr. Carlson received many awards for her work, including the President's Trophy for Handicapped American of the Year. She was also interviewed for radio, newspaper, and TV stories and spoke all over the United States and internationally.

Now, instead of telling her what she couldn't do, people praised her. From her example, people learned that all children deserve love and respect regardless of their ability.

Dr. Carlson was an amazing person, Aunt Nikki. It sounds like she truly helped change things for people with disabilities.

Aunt Nikki: She did. She also recognized that more progress was needed to help support and protect disabled people, but there's no doubt there was tremendous change over her lifetime.

Uncle Jon: Right. Unlike when Dr. Carlson was a little girl, federal law now requires that all children have access to education. Plus, there are laws requiring accommodations for people with disabilities to help them get in and out of public buildings and find jobs.

Aunt Nikki: Exactly. The way she put it, children and adults with disabilities are "no longer second-class citizens." And to quote her, "If I have helped in any way to bring this about, then my work here in Jamestown has had a purpose."

Uncle Jon: It sounds like she truly loved her students a lot.

Aunt Nikki: She really did, and they loved her. She made them feel like they could do great things, just like she did.

Uncle Jon: I'm in awe of everything she accomplished. How did she do it?

Aunt Nikki: With the help of her family and with a lot of trusting in God. Anne liked Paul's words in Philippians: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Uncle Jon: That's a verse that we can all take to heart. We all need God's strength in our lives.

Aunt Nikki: So true, Uncle Jon. No matter what we face, we can do it with the help of Jesus.

Uncle Jon: On that encouraging note, I think we're almost out of time for today. However, before we go, I just want to say thank you boys and girls for listening to our stories.

Aunt Nikki: And we're looking forward to next time. Goodbye!

Uncle Jon: Goodbye.