The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
In today’s world people are endowed to full rights when it comes to their medical wellbeing. When seeking medical care from physicians and professionals we expect a full explanation of our health and possible treatment plans. It is even law that we provide informed consent before proceeding with care. “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot is a thought provoking novel that takes a close and personal look at the story of Henrietta Lacks and her family. She is an African American woman whose cells were used for the advancement of medicine, all without her knowing. The novel delves into the ethical implications of using human tissue for scientific research and raises questions about informed consent and ownership of biological …show more content…
While receiving treatment for her tumor, doctors decided to take samples without her knowledge. They found her cells to be quite extraordinary, that they contain a special enzyme that no one else has ever had. The cells do not die, they became the first immortal human cell line to grow in culture, they are known as HeLa cells. Henrietta’s cells had been used so much in research that it is estimated that there were over 50 million metric tons in the world at the time when Skloot was writing the novel. With her cells gaining popularity and recognition in the medical research field the Lacks family had no knowledge of this at all. It was not until years later when researchers reached out to the family for blood samples to compare their DNA to that of HeLa cells. This caused a deeper distrust of doctors and medical professionals for the Lackses. Especially Henrietta’s two youngest children, Deborah and ZaKariyya Lacks, who grew up without their mother and know who she was. Skloot unearths the history of cell research and the wrongdoings of scientists by telling the story of the Lacks family and HeLa cells. She promises the family full transparency in writing the novel and provides them with closure when discovering information about their
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
400 Words | 2 PagesIn Rebecca Skloot’s novel “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” , she informs readers about “HeLa” aka Henrietta and also about her journey discovering the many traits of Lack’s past . Henrietta Lacks , known in the medical world as “HeLa” died in 1951 due to cervical cancer . She experienced frequent bleeding from her genital parts , due to a tumor that was in her womb . She wasn’t known for going to the doctor whenever she had a health problem , but in the book Skloot said that HeLa explained the tumor as a “ lump in her in womb” and had a feeling that she needed a doctors help. After being looked at by her doctor and being tested for possibly having syphilis , she was redirected to a gynecologist .
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
1424 Words | 6 Pages“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” is a book by Rebecca Skloot journaling the story of the title woman and how her “immortal” cells have impacted science. The book starts out with a word from the author Skloot, where she recounts how she got involved in Henrietta’s story. Chapter one begins with Henrietta going to the doctors at John Hopkins on January 29th 1951 to get tested for a “knot” she felt inside her. The 1st doctor she went to couldn’t identify the cause and recommended she go to John Hopkins hospital. John Hopkins was not only one of the top hospitals at the time, it was also the only nearby major hospital that treated black patients.
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
631 Words | 3 PagesAfter eight months of treatment and excruciating pain from the tumors that kept appearing everywhere, Henrietta passed away. During that time scientists were developing a factory to mass produce her cells. As new developments with her cells kept occurring, her family was oblivious to it all until one day when Bobette, Henrietta's daughter in-law, ran into someone who shed some light on the subject. A brother of a friend unveiled how Bobette’s mother in-law’s cells were in his lab right now being tested for different things. Bobette then told the family which made Deborah, Henrietta’s daughter ver curious and worried about what they were doing.
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
586 Words | 3 PagesIn the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot goes on a lengthy journey in order to uncover the past of one of the greatest advances in medical history. Through the process she discovered that there was more to the story than just one woman, and this would lead her on an international adventure to discover the truth. Throughout the book many issues are present, many of them are quite severe, these issues include abuse and racial issues. To begin, there are multiple forms of abuse that are present in the book, and these include types of abuse such as physical, emotional, sexual and even abuse of power. Deborah Lacks Was abused at a young age by a woman named Ethel.
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Houston Mullican
734 Words | 3 PagesShortly after this happened Henrietta died from the cervical cancer on October 4, 1951. It wasn’t until two decades later that Henriettas name was released to the press, and it wasn’t until even later in the 1990’s when Rebecca Skloot heard of HeLa cells and was interested why there was so little information about her. Skloot then comes into contact with Henriettas family and most importantly forms a bond with Deborah, Henrietta’s oldest daughter. This bond with Deborah was crucial to find out information of Henrietta. While researching the bond grows and Skloot realizes that Deborah just wants to learn as much as possible about her mother like she wants too (Skloot Deborah really just wants her mother’s story to be told and people to realize that there is a person behind all the
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
572 Words | 3 PagesThese cells, however, turned out to be unique in that they were able to grow and multiply outside the human body, making them invaluable in medical research. The movie follows the journey of journalist Rebecca Skloot, as she investigates the story of Henrietta Lacks and her "immortal" cells. Skloot travels to Baltimore to interview Henrietta's family and learn more about her life and legacy. She uncovers a complex and often painful history that sheds light on issues of race, class, and medical
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
577 Words | 3 PagesShe was pregnant by her 5th child. after the birth of her child she could still feel something there so she went back to Hopkins where she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. There was a tumor on her abdominal. Without consent Dr.Hopkins scraped off some of the tumor and her healthy muscle . Dr.Hopkins later sent it to Dr.Gey a cell cultist who cultured Henrietta's cells which he named HeLa .
Skloot: The Immortal Life
295 Words | 2 PagesWhile the general terrain covered by Skloot has already been charted (by Washington and other journalists), the signal accomplishment of The Immortal Life is its excavation of hospital and medical records on Henrietta Lacks and its exhaustive interviews with her surviving family members. Skloot braids that compelling stream into a fluid accounting of the nascent history of cell research in America, creating in the end a riveting narrative that is wholly original. In short, we learn the stunning news that in 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a poor, undereducated 31-year-old black woman from a small Virginia outpost, unwittingly “donated” cancerous cells that eventually spawned a molecular cottage industry—and aided hundreds of breakthroughs in scientific
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
1184 Words | 5 PagesThe Lacks family had reporters and researchers approach them before, but none of them treated them the way Skloot did. Skloot, who learned about HeLa cells in highschool, was interested in the history and background of Henrietta, rather than the scientific facts. Although she was repeatedly rejected by the now cautious and paranoid Lacks family, who, at first, only saw her as a greedy reporter coming to bring even more upheaval into the family’s lives, Skloot was finally able to build a relationship with the family, namely Deborah, and invested into their lives, all the while writing the novel that would finally bring Henrietta’s story to light. Skloot had a different approach than the scientific community and media because she didn’t see Henrietta as an abstraction, but as an “universe with its own secrets,” which she so willingly shared with the
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
858 Words | 4 PagesAfter leaving the hospital, she went back to life as usual.” (Skloot 42) The issue of racial inequality in the medical field is further demonstrated by Henrietta’s cells being used to create a multi-billion dollar industry while her family never received any compensation. Even though HeLa cells were used in multiple scientific advancements, such as creating the polio vaccine, Henrietta’s family was still left in
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
672 Words | 3 PagesSkloot's attitude toward the subject is revealed through her word choice. The chapter, "Illegal, Immoral, and Deplorable" from Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, states "He told them he was testing their immune systems; he said nothing about injecting them with someone else's malignant cells. " Skloot's choice of the word 'malignant' shows that she feels that Southam is harming innocent people. At first, the audience might feel that Southam is using safe cells to help the patients. The word choice helps the reader understand that the cells Southam is using on his patients are in fact not obliging.
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
900 Words | 4 PagesSkloot brings attention to the lack of informed consent and the exploitation of marginalized populations in medical research. The story of Henrietta Lacks and her HeLa cells illustrates the ways in which individuals can be reduced to mere resources for scientific progress, without proper acknowledgement or compensation for their contributions. Skloot's book also highlights the importance of acknowledging the humanity and dignity of individuals who have been used for medical research. This is particularly relevant when dealing with marginalized communities, who have historically been exploited and mistreated in medical research. By bringing these issues to light, Skloot raises important questions about the responsibility of the medical community to prioritize the well-being and dignity of all individuals.
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot
1189 Words | 5 Pages"(44) This is important because not only have they been used for treatments, but they also provided a variety of information that certainly made life easier by giving people more options to combat their issues. To balance against the benefits, the scientist's inability to compensate Henrietta Lacks' family was irresponsible because "she's the most important person in the world and her family living in poverty."(168) This means that after all of the uses of the HeLa cells, they were still struggling to make ends meet as they were yet to receive health insurance. Furthermore, Henrietta’s son Lawrence got upset
Henrietta Lacks Thesis
1020 Words | 5 PagesThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of Henrietta, an African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line. Told through the eyes of her daughter, Deborah Lacks, aided by journalist Rebecca Skloot. Deborah wanted to learn about her mother, and to understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever. It is a story of medical arrogance and triumph, race, poverty and deep friendship between the unlikeliest people. There had been many books published about Henrietta’s cells, but nothing about Henrietta’s personality, experiences, feeling, life style etc.
Essay On The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
774 Words | 4 PagesThe book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot examines the life of a young African American woman with cervical cancer named Henrietta Lacks. When Lacks goes in for her cancer treatments, cells are taken from her tumor without her knowledge. These cells, known as HeLa cells, go on to become an essential advancement in the medical world. Despite the important developments made because of HeLa cells, Lacks receives very little recognition for her cells. For this reason, Skloot dedicates over a decade to researching and telling the story of Lacks, her family, and the HeLa cells.
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