Wally Nelson thought his friend was dead when he found her frozen solid on his doorstep in Lengby, Minnesota, in December 1980.
Nineteen-year-old Jean Hilliard had been trying to walk to his house for help after her car skidded off an icy road. She collapsed just feet from his door in the -22°F cold.
When Nelson found her six hours later, she was like a block of ice. Her skin was too hard for a needle, and her body temperature was too low to register on a thermometer.
At the hospital, doctors were stunned. Her pulse was a dangerously low 12 beats per minute. They had little hope for her survival, and even if she did live, they expected severe damage and amputations.
They decided to try warming her gradually with heating pads, a gentle approach for a situation so extreme.
Incredibly, within a few hours, Jean began to show signs of life. By noon, she was conscious and speaking coherently with her family.
One of the first things she asked about was if she could borrow her dad’s car once his was out of the ditch.
Jean Hilliard made a full recovery with no lasting damage, not even frostbite. Her case remains a remarkable example of human endurance and the strange ways the body can protect itself in extreme cold. Her story left medical professionals and her small community in awe.