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Helen Aldrich De Kroyft, born October 29, 1818 and died October 1915, was an American writer, who began her career after losing her sight after an illness. She rose to national prominence, and published her work for over five decades.
Named Susan Helen Aldrich when she was born, she was the eldest of 12 children, and grew up in Rochester, New York. She became engaged to William De Kroyft, a local medical doctor. They were engaged for a long period of time, which came to a sudden end when De Kroyft was badly injured in a fall from a carriage. De Kroyft suffered from internal injuries. They were married three days after the accident, on July 25, 1845, and William De Kroyft died later that same day.
Within a month of her husband's death, Helen developed an eye infection, which quickly caused her to lose her sight. After her recovery, she enrolled in the New York Institution for the Blind in New York City. While attending the Institution, she learned how to write again, by using a card as a support to guide her hand across the page. This skill enabled Helen to write letters to her family while she was living in New York City and attending the Institution.
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