Henreitta's cells were so special that they were able to continue growing and multiplying after they were removed from her body. Before Henrietta's special cells were discovered, every other tissue sample taken from other people usually died after a few days living in culture.
(Photograph: goodreads.com)
For decades, no one ever knew who Henrietta Lacks was, and neither did they know the affect her cancer cells had on medical research. The author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot, wrote a three-part memoir about this woman's life and the affect she had on people around them.
The most interesting thing in the book for me was the way Skloot arranged the plot. She does an intense amount of research - interviewing family, looking up history, searching for medical records, and visiting the places Henrietta lived - and all of this is recorded in the book.
A recurring theme of this story is the idea of ethical research. Henrietta lived in a time where people of color were treated unethically in many ways when it came to medical research. In the story, Henrietta's cells were taken without her permission and she had no idea of what her cancer treatment would do to her. Skloot also brought up the Tuskegee Syphilis Studies, where many black men were experimented on and not informed of certain aspects of the study - aspects that left them dead or dying. This part of the story made me more aware of how far our medical practice has become in this day and age. I am glad Skloot did not shy away from this important topic.
Here is Skloot's website where you are able to learn about the impact of Henrietta Lacks. A movie will be out soon!
Also, check out The Henrietta Lacks Foundation. This website does a lot of charity work for victims of unethical medical research.
My rating: 6/10
