In the year 1980 in the rural area of northwestern Minnesota, a woman by the name Jean Hilliard was driving her vehicle when her car stopped because of extreme cold.
She had to walk 2 miles to the house of one of her friends, but she fainted only a short distance.
The temperature was around −22 °F (−30 °C). She was discovered about six hours later as frozen.
She got to Fosston Hospital. The physicians had reported that her skin was so tough that it would not be punctured with a needle. The temperature of her body was too low to take. She was pale, her eyes were unresponsive and her pulse was, at most, 12 beats per minute.
She was put on an electric blanket to gradually warm her body.
The only thing that amazed everybody was the next thing, she was completely cured and was released after 49 days in the hospital with no brain damage, with a few frostbites.
The question of how this was possible was on the minds of many.
There are possible explanations proposed by scientists.
It is possible to have some animals hibernate in a low-energy condition, with their body processes brought to a crawl, but still revive later.
Scientists have also discovered a natural chemical present in the body known as 5’ AMP, which could also be used to induce a similar low-energy survival state.
This may prove handy someday in the management of severe ailments such as heart attacks, strokes and major injuries.
There is a chance that her body cooled down too rapidly to be permanently damaged and went into a temporary survival mode till she was rewarmed.