Henrietta Lacks Ignorance

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Progression and Ignorance of Science
Rebecca Skloot retells the compelling story of an African American woman who contributed a great deal to science without adequate recognition. Henrietta Lacks’ cancerous cells, nicknamed HeLa, were sampled without her knowledge and poked and prodded for scientific research. Skloot writes her intricately detailed book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks to express the various stories that have developed as a result of HeLa cells’ existence; She shares Henrietta’s life, death, the effects on science as well as the Lacks family and society as whole, and lastly her own experience. Each of these sectors see varying outcomes as a result of the creation of the HeLa cell line. While scientists benefited greatly …show more content…

that they may deem necessary in the proper surgical care and treatment...” (31). Those who believe the actions of scientists are warranted by the beneficial outcomes point out that Henrietta did sign consent forms at Johns Hopkins although she was not educated enough to fully understand what she was granting permission for. This took place in 1951, and at the time of publication of the book in 2010 there was still no definitive law on the issue of cell ownership. Skloot provides that, “When they’re part of your body, they’re clearly yours. Once they’re excised, your rights get murky” …show more content…

The book tells, “Ultimately, the judge threw Moore’s suit out of court, saying he had no case. Ironically, in his decision, the judge cited the HeLa cell line as a precedent for what happened with the Mo cell line. The fact that no one had sued over the growth or ownership of the HeLa cell line, he said, illustrated that patients didn’t mind when doctors took their cells and turned them into commercial products. The judges believed Moore was unusual in his objections. But in fact, he was simply the first to realize there was something potentially objectionable going on.” (204) This is an extremely unfortunate case of irony. The Lacks family was unaware of the existence of HeLa cells for 25 years after Henrietta’s death. They couldn’t have possibly sued anyone because they did not know. Even after they did eventually find out, no one in the family had a sufficient education to process what the information meant. They also lacked the funds to hire a lawyer. If the judge had been aware of this, the court decision could have had a different outcome, as he would have known that the family does in fact care. John Moore was informed enough to fight against it but was suppressed by the creation of HeLa cells and this stopped him from gaining control over what happened with his own

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    As Rebecca Scoot transport her readers in her narrative of accounts of the Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks, she delicately uncovers injustice not within one family but within a system. As she focuses in giving a voice to the Lacks, she also highlights the strength and leadership of the family matriarch of Henrietta Lacks and her cell know as HELA. Envisioning Mrs. Lacks and her family trajectory it exposes discrimination and bias on a much large scale than poorly uneducated oppress Negro or African American during 1950’s. The life of Henrietta and her family’s situation had moderate similarities of another book, The Isis Paper. The Isis Papers the keys to the Colors, by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing’s, (March 18, 1935- January 2, 2016.) In

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