An Auto-Biopsy in Antartica

 Heyo! Happy Monday! If you read the title and are feeling deja vu, worry not. This post is the spiritual sister posts to "An Auto Appendectomy in Antarctica" which I posted back in January. Let's get into it!

Dr. Jerri Nelson at the South Pole, 1999

In 1998, Dr. Jerri Neilsen joined an expedition to Antarctica on a one-year contract as a medical doctor. Stations at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, the region experience near complete darkness for the six months of winter with temperatures as low as -76 degrees Fahrenheit (-60 degrees Celsius). From February until October, the station was completely cut off from the world with no flights coming in or out. The people at the station were stranded with whatever resources they had. Unfortunately, Dr. Nielsen discovered a lump in her breast and consulted several physicians in the United States via e-mail and video conference. Consulting with those doctors resulted into Neilsen performing a biopsy on herself. Unfortunately, the initial results were inconclusive due to the outdated supplies and equipment onsite.

Fortunately for Dr. Nielsen, The National Science Foundation sent a military plane to airdrop supplies and medications for her treatment. However, the plane was unable to land due to the harsh weather conditions. With the help of the South Pole crew after they lit fires in barrels to mark a drop zone, an Air Force cargo plane overflew the Pole and dropped six bundles of supplies and medical equipment via parachutes. The new supplies and equipment allowed Dr. Nielsen to perform a second auto-biopsy with the help of some South Pole colleagues who she trained to assist with the procedures. New better scans were sent to the United States, and she was diagnosed with cancer. Her makeshift team of colleagues were able to help her self-administer chemotherapy while still at the South Pole station.

Due to the dire nature of the cancer, an aircraft was sent several weeks ahead of schedule to bring Dr. Nielsen back home as soon as possible. After multiple surgeries and a mastectomy Dr. Nielsen went into remission. After becoming a motivational speaker, Dr. Nielsen was named Irish American of the Year by Irish American Magazine in 2001.

Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station

Sadly, Dr. Nielsen's cancer returned in 2005 and metastasized to her brain, liver and bones. However, she didn't let it stop her. She continued giving speeches and traveling the world, even returning to Antarctica several times. In 2008, she announced that her cancer had returned in the form of a brain tumor. Dr. Jerri Nielsen continued to be active and give speeches up until March 2009, three months before her death. She died June 23, 2009, at only 57 years old.

She is truly a testament of perseverance. Despite the devastation that comes with cancer, she never let it stop her. She is an inspiration not just for women, but for everyone. Her story was told in a made for TV movie, Ice Bound: A Woman's Survival at the South Pole starring Susan Sarandon as Dr. Nielsen.