Henrietta Lacks was an African American migrant in Baltimore, a mother of five, who met with unfortunate death at an young age of 30 in 1951 due to cervical cancer.
The book 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot is an honest and moving story of Henrietta Lacks.
Inspirational Fiction
During the treatment of Lacks, before her death, her doctor took medical samples of cancerous cells from her body. They were safely kept in the Lab where the tests were done. Normally taking cells for analysis during treatment is not uncommon but such cells can't live longer. But the cells of Henrietta Lacks not only survived beyond her death, but also got multiplied in millions in the lab environment.
During subsequent years, the cells of Lacks got distributed to various colleges and laboratories for the purpose of research and learning and these cells are called HeLa Cells, derived from the name of Henrietta Lacks. By estimate, the developed cells across the world would weigh 50 metric tonnes compared to her small fragile body.
HeLa cells helped medical scientists discover the nature of various diseases and also helped in finding out vaccines and medicines for polio, cancer, fertility and many more. Obviously the HeLa cells became a boon for great developments in medical sciences.
However the family of Henrietta Lacks was not aware of the existence of theses cells and their vast distribution across the globe. They came to know about this much later, and they were angry and resentful over the whole development. The family remained poor despite the fact that they were indirectly helpful for many medical innovations. The author of the book Rebecca Skloot, who is a science writer, met Lacks' family, while investigating the background of HeLa Cells. She helped the family, won their trust and had many conversations with them. She worked for a whole decade with the Lack's family and came out with a complete and true account of Henrietta Lacks life story.
This is not just a life story that gives inspiration but also raises questions on various matters related to medicine, race, ethics and many more. Is it right for doctors to take Lacks' cells without her consent? Should they not have compensated their family when the cells were extensively used for various medical discoveries?
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has been selected as one of the best books of Amazon during February 2010.
Alan Ball along with HBO team and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films combined together to make a film based on this book. The book is also being translated in to twenty languages.
The contribution of HeLa cells to medical science is immense and Henrietta Lacks has become immortal through this book by Rebecca Skloot.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Summary
minso is a web-writer interested in various topics such as spirituality, health and books.
Check information about similar books at Inspirational Books For Women and Best Inspirational Books
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