GN Commentary: June 25, 2009 - One Courageous Doctor

Most of us did not know Dr. Jerri Nielsen Fitzgerald, but we all remember the story of the doctor who treated herself for breast cancer while on a scientific expedition to the South Pole. She was courageous in life and in death.

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Video Transcript

Dr. Jerri Nielsen Fitzgerald died this past Tuesday at the age of 57. You may recall the story of the doctor who diagnosed herself with breast cancer while serving on a scientific expedition to the South Pole. She was the only doctor among the 41 person crew when she discovered the lump in her breast. There was no way to get her out for treatment nor could anyone get in.

After finding the lump in her breast, Dr. Jerri Fitzgerald got really sick. Later she found a huge lump under her arm where the cancer had spread. At that point she had trouble even getting around.

It was winter time at the South Pole and because of the extreme weather conditions; the station was closed to the outside world. She performed a biopsy on herself with the help of staff. A machinist helped her with her IV and test slides, and a welder helped with the chemotherapy.

In a daring rescue she was airlifted out in October of that year. This was the earliest flight ever attempted to the South Pole region. The temperature was 58 degrees below zero.

She wrote in an e-mail to her parents in June, 1999, "More and more as I am here and see what life really is, I understand that it is not when or how you die but how and if you truly were ever alive". Her husband said, "She fought bravely, she was able to make the best of what life and circumstance gave her, and she had the most resilience I have ever seen in anyone, she fought hard and she fought valiantly."

In Philippians 1:20 the Apostle Paul describes this unusual type of courage - "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death" (NIV).

Jerri Fitzgerald exemplified these qualities of courage. She wrote a book about her experiences and traveled the world speaking to various groups. She was strong in the face of adversity. She could do nothing to get rid of the disease, but she didn't complain. She took her courage to the world and inspired a lot of people. Paul's statement that he hoped to have sufficient courage for Christ to be exalted whether by life or by death is good for all of us to remember. This is the kind of courage that makes life of value even if it is cut short.

Most of us did not know Dr. Fitzgerald, but we all remember the story of the doctor who treated herself for breast cancer while on a scientific expedition to the South Pole. She was courageous in life and in death.

For GN Magazine, I'm Jim Franks.