You’re a mean one Mr. Geisel. Theodore Geisel, better known under his pseudonym Dr. Seuss, entertained generations of children with whimsical tales. The nonsensical rhymes were a collaborative effort between him and his wife, Helen Palmer Geisel. Curiously, Theodore co-wrote these charming stories without particularly caring for his market demographic. Helen was consumed with wanting kids.
A lifelong victim of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder that causes paralysis and tingling, Helen thought she could finally find comfort as a mother. At 33, Helen was hospitalized with abdominal pains. The doctors treated her by removing her ovaries. The operation ensured she could never conceive her own children.
Infertility threw Helen into a depression. The emotional turmoil exacerbated her already debilitating condition. She then learned an even worst heartbreak. Unable to keep his wocket in his pocket, Theodore cheated on Helen after 41 years of marriage with the married Audrey Diamond. In 1967, Helen purposely overdosed on nearly 300 pills. Her suicide note blamed Theodore for the despair he put her through. He did not change his poor behavior towards women. A year after Helen’s death, Seuss married Audrey Diamond on the condition that she cut off contact to her then-husband and children.