Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

However despite the horrifying stories they heard, when they really needed it African Americans did not have many other options because Hopkins was the only hospital around that would treat them. Also, during this time people everywhere and not just African Americans often did whatever the doctors said and would never truly question the honesty or ethical standing of any. With these two things in mind, Henrietta did what she needed to do and sought care at Hopkins. However, it would become clear that the tissue doctors would take from her cervix, grow to use in research, and eventually sell for a profit was not donated from Mrs. Lacks but instead was simply taken. Skloot quoted Bobbette Lacks in her book saying, “Everybody always saying Henrietta …show more content…
However, despite the horrible image that the Lacks family had of doctors, it did at some point begin to change. When Deborah and Skloot did their research together they came across a scientist who was affiliated with Hopkins that admitted the hospital made mistakes regarding Henrietta. After saying this, Deborah, “bolted upright and looked at him, stunned to hear a scientist—one at Hopkins, no less—saying such a thing” (Skloot 2010). I think that this experience really began to allow Deborah to trust in doctors and scientists and allowed her to know that not all were out to get her and her family. However, I think that the most influential person in getting Deborah and her family to trust doctors and other people regarding their mother was the author of the book, Rebecca Skloot. From the beginning she included the family in her research, allowed them to move at their own pace, and was open to all of their questions, complaints, and suggestions. Her decade of research and time with the family showed them that not every person that came around asking about their mother would leave them behind and still clueless as to what was going on with a part of their