The Unknown Savior: A Tale of a Woman Who Saved Countless Lives

The Unknown Savior: A Tale of a Woman Who Saved Countless Lives

Allow me to introduce to you Mary. She died in 1982 and she has saved countless lives of other women. If you don’t know her, keep reading.

Mary was born in Greece and she was fortunate to have good education, could speak French and even play the piano. She finished her PhD in Germany in 1910. She then emigrated to the United States with her husband for a better life. They both did different jobs until her husband found work as a researcher in a university. Mary started working with him with no salary. Mary managed to run her home and her husband’s lab in great success.

Her husband’s research was about ovulatory cycle. However, back then it was difficult to do an actual research in people, so the research was done using guinea pigs.

The couple believed that they were close to a great discovery, but the research had to be conducted in people. Her husband’s idea was to use cells taken from a woman’s cervix to screen for cervical cancer, which was a leading cause of death for women at the time. Mary decided to volunteer and for 21 years as an experimental subject for her husband. She would visit his examination couch almost daily to provide samples of her vaginal fluids and cervical cells. Her husband would then smear them on a glass slide and examine them under a microscope.

Around the 40’s Mary’s husband presented his work in different scientific magazines that lead to the invention of a test that saved the life of millions of women.

The test took the name of Mary’s husband and it’s now know as Pap test. To this day, the Pap test is used worldwide for the diagnosis of cervical cancer and other cytological diseases of the female reproductive system. The test is now widely used around the world and has helped to save millions of lives. Mary’s husband was Georgios Papanikolaou, one of the greatest Greeks ever.

Georgios Papanikolaou died in 1961, but his wife Andromachi Papanikolaou (Machi or Mary which was easier to pronounce in the States) continued for the next 20 years to promote their work.

On May 18, 1978, the White House organized an official ceremony on the occasion of the issuing of the American stamp for George Papanicolaou.

Andromachi Papanikolaou who was officially invited, made a short but extremely touching speech. Addressing the wife of the President of the USA Mrs Rozalin Karter, Mary Papanicolaou said:

Dear Mrs Karter, ladies and gentlemen,

I wish to express my appreciation to all of you who contributed to the realisation of this meeting, to Mrs Karter, who kindly organised this ceremony, to the General Director of Posts and Postal services who followed the preparation of stamp in detail, to Mr Lane Adams and the American Cancer Society which always encouraged and supported the work of my husband and to everyone who also sought the recognition of his accomplishments.

Dr Papanicolaou was honoured with many awards. Most of them were given to him by his colleagues who worked in scientific organisms. I believe he deserved each one of them. However, I consider that he would have appreciated the issuing of this stamp mostly, because it implies the tribute that an entire nation pays to him and the gratitude of the US population . He could not have asked for more!

I thank all of you frankly,

Mary Papanicolaou

She didn’t take credit for the invention of the test, but her unwavering support and dedication to her husband’s work made it all possible. It was clear that without her, the Pap test might not have become the lifesaving tool it is today.

Until the end of her life she she considered this invention to be their baby and she promoted it until her death. Her legacy will live on through the countless women whose lives have been saved by the Pap test, a testament to her dedication and unwavering support.