born to louis and anna breithaupt, the youngest of five children, henry was a native of milwaukee, wisconsin. henry was stricken with rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. she was unable to attend school with other children due to her weak condition and the fear of spreading the illness to other people. while confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. henry's love of animals started during her childhood. soon afterwards, she also discovered a love for writing when her parents presented her with a writing desk for christmas. henry later said, "at last i had a world of my very own – a writing world, and soon it would be populated by all the creatures of my imagination."