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Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks #100Books

January 8, 2013 by Kenna Griffin

Your body belongs to you. What happens to and with it is meant to be up to you. Anything else is an assault on your person. At least that is what we’re made to believe.

But what if that’s not true? What if people more powerful than us are stealing that ownership?

What if you discovered that a doctor had removed cells from your body without your permission, then sold them to others for a profit? How would you respond? What could you do?

The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksIt happened to Henrietta Lacks in 1951, only cancer killed her before her family realized that scientists worldwide were using her cells for research.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is the story of the famous, rapidly-multiplying HeLa cells, which scientists exposed to all manner of diseases and cures—real and potential. They even sent them into space.

For years Henrietta received no credit for the cells. The scientist who took them refused to release her name to the public, saying that doing so would cause “problems.” When Henrietta’s name finally was released, it was misspelled or another name was used altogether.

The book, written by Rebecca Skloot, focuses on Henrietta’s daughter’s quest to learn more about her mother and understand the use of her cells.

I won’t say that Henrietta’s family should have become rich off of her cells, although a lot of people certainly did.

I will say that Henrietta should have received better care. At one point, she even was told that she could have no more of the needed blood transfusions because she was indebted to the blood bank, according to the book.

It’s also absurdly wrong that members of her family died without access to health care because of their poverty while Henrietta’s stolen cells were used to create a “multibillion-dollar industry selling human biological materials.”

Henrietta’s family died while scientists worldwide used her stolen cells, which then were being shipped to them from a cell distribution plant, for everything from combating genetic disorders to finding new ways to keep women’s skin looking younger.

That’s just wrong. It’s inhumane.

Of course, you also could say that Henrietta’s cells went above all others in serving the greater good.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is full of such complexities. While reading I found myself in awe of the unethical treatment of this woman and her family. I also tried to create context by realizing that the setting in which this book occurred was a much different world than the one we live in today. Those things, mixed with a little Henrietta voodoo, made for a truly interesting read.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above (typically those to books) may be “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I promise that I only recommend products or services I use personally and think will provide you value. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Comments

  1. Shonali says

    January 9, 2013 at 6:15 am

    I just loved this book. I bought it on my Kindle prior to a vacation a couple of years ago, and I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those books that makes you go, “I want to read more books like this!” Not just the history, but the scientific story was fascinating.

    Reply
    • profkrg says

      January 9, 2013 at 8:05 am

      Shonali It was fascinating. Of course, I kept wanting to see where the system failed or find who/what was to blame. It just seems there were so many areas of failure. A lot of it was the time. They didn’t know how to treat cancer properly, and they certainly didn’t know how to treat patients equally. As an academic researcher who studies emotional trauma, I’ve had my fair share of time with the IRB. In fact, every study I do has to go to full board review. However, reading Henrietta’s story makes me happy for things like IRB and HIPPA laws. They may be annoying at times, but people deserve protection. 
      Thanks so much for reading the review. I’m glad you enjoyed the book too. What are you reading now?
      Kenna

      Reply
  2. TauhidChappell says

    October 17, 2015 at 1:06 pm

    profkrg crazy story. I read about her a few years ago. One of a kind.

    Reply
  3. profkrg says

    October 17, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    TauhidChappell It is a crazy story. Not ok.

    Reply

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Prof KRG

Prof KRG aims to create an ongoing educational dialogue among media professionals, students and educators.

Please let me know what resources you need or topics you wish you better understood. If I don't know the information, I'm happy to seek out someone who does.

Contact me via email at kennagriffin@gmail.com.

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About Kenna Griffin

I am a mass communications professor, journalist and collegiate media adviser. I teach classes including those on writing, reporting, media law, media ethics, social media marketing, and public relations. I am married, have two children and live in Oklahoma. More about this site's purpose

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