HeLa

In my opinion, the results of research (the cells, the cell lines) belong to the Lack family though the cells were used to develop disease prevention vaccine for polio, Parkinson's Leukemia, and the flu (Grady, 2010). The doctors did not protect Henrietta's privacy. A sample of her cells were given to Dr. George Gey, the researcher without permission. Her family members had no idea that her information was released to a third party. There was no informed consent given by the patient or family,…

some pharmaceutical companies made millions out of the products developed from testing them on Lacks’ cells. To avoid potential legal problems, the Hopkins administration decided to change Henrietta’s name to Helen Lane and called her cells, HeLa. Although HeLa has been used to advance studies in cancer, polio, influence, AIDs, and other diseases, Lacks never got the proper credit or compensation. After learning about Lacks in school and pursuing…

Describe three ethical issues raised by the Henrietta Lacks story. The three ethical issues raised by the Henrietta Lacks story are informed consent, privacy, and justice. In the medical practice today, researchers at John Hopkins University, where the HeLa cells were stored and distributed, acknowledged that in the past they did not act ethically. One can only infer that researchers cared about what it is in the best interest of science and not their patients (Kieger, 2010). Privacy refers to…

Part 3 summary of “The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks” Henrietta’s cells became very important in scientific/medical research. These HeLa cells helped in the developed of the polio vaccine; played a part in cloning research, vitro fertilization, the isolation of stem cells was achieved, and new discoveries were made such as the chromosomal count of 46 in humans. But while all these medical breakthroughs and discoveries were being made, Henrietta’s family lived for twenty-two years without…

an African-American woman whose cancer cells were used to create an immortal cell line for experiments called HeLa. Henrietta was a poor black tobacco farmer with only middle-school education. It also tells us the story behind the woman who revolutionized modern medicine. With the use of these cells scientists could study viruses, human genetics, drugs, environment stress and vitamins. HeLa has helped build thousands of careers. Since 1951, science has progressed much faster than our ability to…

Skloot. This really shows how little the family was cared about, even though Henrietta cells were so important to science. He also points out how until Rebecca published this book, nobody had told or cared about the real human faces associated with HeLa. Gifford brings up the race factor of Henrietta’s treatment. He states that even though there was racism through this process, the way they took Henrietta’s cells was no different than what John Hopkins would have done to a Caucasian woman. He…

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot deals with the theme of quest for discovery, which is evident through point of view in the novel. Skloot’s main purpose of the novel is to inform the reader of the two sides of the story behind the HeLa cells. She accomplishes her purpose by constantly searching and interviewing for information about others point of views, which relates to the theme of quest for discovery. The theme of quest for discovery has characteristics that makes stand…

Henrietta Lacks was a black woman who grew up in Clover, Virginia (Zielinski). She was born in 1920 as Loretta Pleasant (Biography.com Editors), and was affectionately known as “Hennie” (Brown). She was raised by her grandfather and lived with her cousin, David Lacks (Biography.com Editors). Henrietta worked as a tobacco farmer along with her family (Zielinski), and she also sold tobacco at auctions (Brown). She attended school up until sixth grade (Brown). Henrietta and her cousin Lacks later…

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Part One Life and is comprised of eleven chapters that jump in time periods. Henrietta’s story starts its 1951 at Johns Hopkins Hospital when she is seeking treatment for a knot she discovered. However, it took multiple follow-ups before doctors took her concern seriously and diagnosed her with cervical cancer. The following chapters explores who Henrietta was beyond her medical chart and the impact she had on the people that personally knew her. It is…

against allowing the doctors using them for research (especially because of racial dynamics). In terms of the spirit of autonomy, I think had Henrietta’s family been compensated, especially considering all of the lives saved and improved because of HeLa cells, that the family would have consented in her place. However, paying for tissue cells…