The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks is not a common household name, yet in the scientific and medical world it has become one of the most important and talked names of the century. Up until the time that this book was written, very few people knew of Henrietta Lacks and how her cells contributed to modern science, but Rebecca Skloot aimed to change this. Eventually Skloot was able to reach Henrietta’s remaining family and through them she was able to tell the story of not only the importance of the HeLa cells but also Henrietta’s life.

The non-fiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, written by Rebecca Skloot, details the happenings and life of Henrietta Lacks, an African American woman and tobacco farmer who became a medical miracle in the 1950’s. The book is written in an attempt to chronicle both the experiences and tribulations of Henrietta Lacks and her family, as well as the events that led to, and resulted from, research done on Henrietta Lacks’ cells. Henrietta was a very average African American woman in this period; she had only a seventh-grade level education, and followed traditional racial and gender roles by spending her time has a mother and caretaker, as well as working on farms throughout her life until the involvement of the US in World War II brought her and her husband, “Day” Lacks, comparatively better work opportunities in industrial steel mills. However, after her death in 1951 Henrietta became much more than average to doctors at John Hopkins when the discovered that cells extracted from her cancerous tissue continued to live and grow much longer than any other tissue samples. Further investigation and isolation of these thriving cells led to the creation of the first ever immortal human cell line in medical history. The incredible progress in medicine made possible by Henrietta Lack’s tissue cells were not without downfalls, though. The treatments and experiences received by Henrietta and the effects it had on her and her family demonstrate both racial and gender

Henrietta was an African American woman who grew up in Clover, Virginia and was raised by her grandfather, Tommy Lacks because her mother died after giving birth to her 10th child. Henrietta worked with her cousin in the family’s tobacco farm, went to school until 6th grade, and had her first child with Day Lacks (her cousin) at the age of 14, and they got married when she was 20 years old and he was 25. After giving birth to her 5th child, Deborah, Henrietta goes

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of Henrietta Lacks. In the early 1951 Henrietta discovered a hard lump on the left of the entrance of her cervix, after having unexpected vaginal bleeding. She visited the Johns Hopkins hospital in East Baltimore, which was the only hospital in their area where black patients were treated. The gynecologist, Howard Jones, indeed discovers a tumor on her cervix, which he takes a biopsy off to sent it to the lab for diagnosis. In February 1951 Henrietta was called by Dr. Jones to tell about the biopsy results: “Epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix, Stage I”, in other words, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Before her first radium treatment, surgeon dr.

In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot follows the story of the famous HeLa cell line, introducing us to the woman behind these cells, the family she came from, and how her cells swept the field of science. This book tells the story of how race, poverty, and the practices used in the fields of science and medicine in the last 100 years has led to the many of the modern day innovations we have, all thanks to the HeLa cells.

In 2010, Rebecca Skloot published her book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a result of her discovery and findings devoted to Henrietta’s life story along with her family members, and revived the real person behind tremendous scientific accomplishments sprung of immortal HeLa cells’ exploitation. The research involving HeLa cells has changed the landscape of medical study, leading to scientific and medical breakthroughs that continues today. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of breast cancer and leukemia; helped lead to important advances in vitro fertilization, cloning, genetic hybrids, gene mapping in virology, scientific standards, live cell transport, for profit distribution of cells, space

She works closely with Deborah to unveil the story of Henrietta’s life and the life of her sister Elise, who was sent to Crownsville Hospital as a young girl for treatment of the “negro insane”. Skloot and Deborah end up going to Crownsville where they found that Elise was treated very poorly and underwent harsh treatment at the hospital. Throughout this journey of unveiling Henrietta’s life, she discovers that medical research was unethical during those times. Doctors would perform cruel experiments on humans and she even heard stories of “night doctors” who would kidnap black men and women in Maryland to perform such

Henrietta Lacks was a strong African American woman born August 1, 1920, in Roanoke Virginia. At fourteen, she gave birth to first child with Cousin David (Day). Later, she delivered her second child before marrying Day on April 10, 1941. Eventually, they had three more children. The Lack’s children were loved and adored more than anything by their mother. At the age of thirty, Henrietta discovered a lump inside of her. When telling cousins Margaret and sadie that she had a knot inside of her, they did not know what was wrong. After the news, they began to grow concerned. about Henrietta’s health. “Hennie you got to go get that checked out. what if somethin bad?” they said to her. (Skoot 14). After a week later she was pregnant with fifth child. Later after Joe was born, she self-examined herself in the bathtub and could feel the lump inside of her, it began to bleed. She started growing concerned, telling Day he took her to John Hopkins hospital, which only

Going to the hospital should be a place where people can go to seek help, and a hospital should be a place where we can put all our faith and confidence in doctors as well. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot wrote about an African American woman named Henrietta lacks who was diagnosed with cervical cancer and passed away in 1950’s. A doctor extracted Henrietta cells without her consent. Furthermore, doctors did an experimental treatment with radium, which caused Henrietta to become infertile. Rebecca pointed out controversial issues with scientific literacy and public trust in the 1950’s. Henrietta Lacks cells or HeLa cells are considered legendary in the medical and science community. However,

She told doctor her feeling about the bossing. Doctor did not care what she says. He just cut a small sample from her bossing. Then told Henrietta to go home. When she came back again, she knows she has cancer. Doctor decides radiotherapy to clear Henrietta’s cancer. Because most doctors think radiotherapy was safer and more effective than surgery at that time. When they putting the radium in her uterine, a doctor shaved two dime-sized pieces of tissue from Henrietta’s cervix. Later on this sample was at every laboratory around the world. Treatment is over, Henrietta still feel pain from uterine. Doctor did not care too much. Henrietta came back again when she feel more pain. The cancer came back again and occupy her body. It is too later, doctor can not do anything with that except hocus her. She died after those day of suffering. A long time after, reporter Rebecca is interesting at Henrietta Lacks. She kept calling Henrietta‘s family and went to Baltimore where is a city Henrietta’s family live. She did get any information until she met cootie in Clover, who is Henrietta’s cousin and the first people would like to talk to

Henrietta Lacks was an ordinary women, nothing too extraordinary. However, on the day she walked into John Hopkins, the entire world changed. Let us be reminded that this was during the 1950’s, so there was still the colored and white sides of the hospital. However, Hopkins was still one of the top hospitals in the country, and colored people were not excluded from that. Henrietta went in for a gynecological appointment, when she learned she had cervical cancer. However, this was not the only thing that happened at the appointment. Dr. Howard Jones, without permission, took a biopsy of Henrietta’s tumor and sent samples to his laboratory colleagues. From there, Dr. TeLinde became involved. He was trying to find a cure

When I first heard about the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", I thought it was just a reading assignment when I was in high school that I had to complete for a grade. As I began reading I became particularly interested in Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cells. In "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", Rebecca Skloot talks about Henrietta Lacks and how her cells were taken without her permission, and how her family suffered afterwards. Skloot shows how medicine and science were seen back in the 1950's compared to now.

One of my summer reading books was a nonfiction called "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", by Rebecca Skloot. I found this book in my brother's room and the title immediately grabbed my attention. I was confused about how anyone or anything could be immortal. I read the description on the back of the book and discovered that her cells have been perpetually multiplying and dividing since 1951. I was hooked and intrigued to figure out the life story of the women behind the immortal cells. I finished this book in a matter of two days, completing a great portion of the book in a car ride to Albion college. I would recommend this book to my peers because HeLa cells (named after the first two letters of Henrietta Lacks first and last name)

Skloot made a point of including the separate entrance for “Colored People” at John Hopkins Hospital. Its important to learn about what time period the story is taking place in. Also it provides the reader the image of how the colored patients were treated. It was the Jim Crow era and if a colored person was to show up at a white only hospital, they would be turned away from the hospital even if they were severely in need of care. John Hopkins was one of the only hospitals that accepted black patients. Even if other hospitals were closer in distance, Henrietta and her family were unable to get treated in these hospitals due to the segregation during this time period.

“The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks” written by Rebecca Skloot exposes the truth about a colored woman, Henrietta Lacks, who died from cancer leaving five children and a husband behind. Before her death doctors took her cells,without her or her family consent, to do there own research and experiments. They discovered that her cells were immortal, they became the first immortal cells known as the HeLa cells..After the discoverment the Lacks family were never told that Henrietta Lacks cells were used, bought and sold. Through the HeLa cells the scientist had made money while Henrietta kids were mistreated and were in poor situations.It wasnt till 25 years later that the Lacks family found out about the HeLa cells doing miracles. Rebecca Skloot though “The immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” was able to explain the unethical situations that the Lacks family faced after Henrietta’s death.