Jerri Nielsen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerri Lin Nielsen
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| Born |
Jerri Lin Cahill
March 1, 1952 Salem, Ohio, United States
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| Died | June 23, 2009 (aged 57) Southwick, Massachusetts, United States
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| Alma mater | Ohio University Medical College of Ohio |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | Physician who self-administered a biopsy, and later chemotherapy, after discovering a breast tumour while in Antarctica until she could be evacuated |
Jerri Lin Nielsen (born March 1, 1952 – died June 23, 2009) was an American physician. She was known for treating her own cancer while working at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. She stayed there until she could be safely taken home.
In 1998, during the long Antarctic winter, the station was completely cut off from the rest of the world. Jerri discovered she had breast cancer. She talked to doctors in the United States using video calls. She even had to take tissue samples from herself for tests. Later, a military plane dropped supplies and medicine for her. Her health was very serious. The first plane to land at the station in spring arrived earlier than planned. This was so she could go back to the U.S. as soon as possible. Her amazing story got a lot of attention. Jerri later wrote a book about her experience.
The cancer went away for a while. But it came back seven years later. It eventually caused her death in 2009. This was eleven years after she first found the cancer.
Early Life and Education
Jerri Lin Cahill was born in Salem, Ohio, on March 1, 1952. Salem is a town near Youngstown. She was the oldest child and only daughter of Philip and Lorine Cahill. They raised their family in the countryside near Salem.
Jerri studied pre-med at Ohio University in Athens. Then she went to the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo. She earned her medical degree there.
While at Ohio University, she met Jay Nielsen. They got married and had three children. They later divorced in 1998. Jerri continued to work as a doctor in many areas. She mostly worked as an emergency room surgeon.
Her Time in Antarctica
In 1998, Jerri Nielsen took a job for one year. She was the medical doctor at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. This place is very isolated. It has almost total darkness for six months during winter. The temperature stays around -60°C (-76°F).
During this time, the station is completely cut off. No planes can fly there between mid-February and late October. The crew who stay for the winter are stuck there. They have to manage everything by themselves.
Finding the Lump
While working at the research station, Jerri found a lump in her breast. She talked to doctors in the U.S. using email and video calls. She then performed a biopsy on herself. This means she took a small tissue sample.
However, the results were not clear. The equipment at the station was too old for a proper diagnosis.
A Special Delivery
The National Science Foundation decided to send a military plane. It would drop supplies and medicine for her treatment. These kinds of drops used to happen every year. But they had stopped a while ago.
The plane could not land because of the extreme cold. Its skis might stick to the ice. Its fuel lines could also freeze quickly. South Pole workers lit fires in barrels to mark a drop zone in the dark. An Air Force C-141 cargo plane flew over the Pole in mid-July. It dropped six bundles of supplies and medical gear by parachute.
Self-Treatment Begins
Using the new supplies, Jerri started her treatment. She followed the advice of her doctors via satellite link. She first began a hormone treatment.
She trained her South Pole teammates to help her. They formed a small medical team. A new biopsy with the dropped equipment gave better scans. These were sent to the U.S. Doctors there confirmed that the cells were cancerous. With her team's help, Jerri then started giving herself chemotherapy. This is a strong medicine to fight cancer.
The Rescue Flight
In October, a LC-130 Hercules plane was sent early. It was several weeks ahead of schedule. This was despite the dangers of flying in such cold weather. The goal was to bring Jerri home as fast as possible. The plane left the base on October 15. Another crew member, who had hurt his hip, was also taken out.
After Returning Home
Once back in the United States, Jerri had many surgeries. She also had a mastectomy, which is surgery to remove a breast. After this, her cancer went into remission. This means the cancer was gone or under control.
She became a speaker who inspired many people. A scholarship was even created in her honor. She also got married again to Tom Fitzgerald. In 2001, Irish America magazine named Jerri the Irish American of the Year.
The Cancer Returns
After being in remission, the cancer came back in 2005. It had spread to Jerri's brain, liver, and bones. But she kept giving speeches and traveled a lot. She visited places like Hong Kong, Vietnam, Australia, Ireland, Alaska, and Poland. She even went back to Antarctica several times.
In October 2008, Dr. Nielsen announced that her cancer had returned as a brain tumor. She remained active and gave talks until March 2009. She passed away three months later.
Jerri Lin Nielsen died at her home in Southwick, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2009. She was 57 years old. She was survived by her husband, Tom Fitzgerald. Also, her parents, Lorine and Phil Cahill, and her brothers, Scott and Eric Cahill. Her children from her first marriage, Julia, Ben, and Alex, also survived her.
Her Story in Media
Jerri Nielsen's story was told in her book, Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Story of Survival at the South Pole. She wrote it with ghostwriter Maryanne Vollers. The book became a New York Times bestseller.
The book was later made into a TV movie in 2003. It was called Ice Bound: A Woman's Survival at the South Pole. Susan Sarandon starred in it. In 2008, her story inspired an episode of the Fox Network show House. The episode was called "Frozen". In it, the doctors had to diagnose and treat a sick psychiatrist at the South Pole using video calls. Her rescue story was also shown on The Weather Channel's When Weather Changed History in January 2008. The episode was called "Rescue from the South Pole."
See Also
Jerri Nielsen's case is similar to that of Dr. Leonid Rogozov. He had to remove his own appendix in 1961. He was spending the winter at the Novolazarevskaya research station. Since that event, the station always has two doctors.
