The story of survival is never just the story of the person who survives.

It is the story of everyone whose decisions shaped the outcome — the person who found her, who drove her, who heard the whimper, who decided to treat, who wrapped the heating pads, who monitored the pulse as it rose from 12 beats per minute toward something approaching normal.

Jean Hilliard survived because of herself — because her body’s ancient program ran long enough.

And she survived because of the people around her, who made the decisions that gave that program the time it needed.