Intro Post #4: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sloot

 

Poor, African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks went to the doctor back in the 1950's for a simple sample of her cells to study more about her cervical cancer. That day, the doctor did not just take some cells, he took billions and billions of dollars as well. In 2014, we now know that Ms. Henrietta Lacks had a rare, abnormal cancer cell line. It is still around today known as the HeLa line, responsible in the advancement of the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and more. Lacks's cells are still around, and can circle around the Earth three times. Although her cells are widely known, her name is not. Her remaining family cannot even afford health care while their mother's cells are circling around the Earth making doctors millionaires. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sloot goes deep into the bioethical issues of our world today, as well as the story of Henrietta Lacks.

I hope to gain a better understanding of Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cell line, as well as the bioethical issues that our world is currently dealing with.