Ellen (Nellie) Pucell Unthank — Miraculous Survival of Double Amputation

In late 1856, nine-year-old Nellie Pucell arrived in the Salt Lake Valley with the Martin Handcart Company in a state of extreme physical distress. Having lost both parents on the trail, Nellie and her sister Maggie were among the few survivors of the frozen Wyoming plains. Nellie's legs had been frozen to the knees, and upon arrival in Salt Lake City, they were found to be gangrenous. In a makeshift surgery performed without anesthetic, a doctor used a butcher knife and a carpenter's saw to amputate both of her legs just below the knees. Despite the primitive conditions, her emaciated state, and the lack of medical facilities, Nellie survived the procedure. Her survival and subsequent long life, during which she raised six children and served her community, is documented in DUP records as a remarkable instance of divine preservation and physical endurance.