Who Is Nellie Bly?

Being a women who loves to write, I was so inspired when I saw an episode of Mysteries at the Museum with a segment on a late 1800's female journalist.
The episode was based off of her debut article in the New York World newspaper. After several times of being turned away from other newspapers, Nellie finally landed a project getting the behind the scenes of a nearby insane asylum on Blackwell's island. She admitted herself to a women's home to first convince them she was crazy, the home sent her to be evaluated by a doctor, who finally sent her to Blackwell.
During her 10 day stay, the suspicions of Blackwell were confirmed immediately. Patients were fed rancid food, beating were daily, and neglected. Nellie took advantage of speaking with patients as much as possible and the most shocking part of her research was that there were many people just as sane as Nellie was.
Her article was a huge hit, and even sparked an investigation! She went on and wrote a book called, Ten Days in a Mad House.
I just think Nellie Bly is so inspiring because she held onto a passion of her and made her way into what was typically a man's career. Also, she recognize a vulnerable population and advocated for their rights and freedom. What is even more amazing is that I would expect female empowerment a few years later than the late 1800's, but Nellie advocated for her own creative freedom, while helping others have their voice.