“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside you while you live” (Cousins). When a life has been cut short or a person has been mistreated, the greatest tragedy is what they missed out on rather than the horror of their negative life experiences. Yet, there is a turning point where those missed life experiences act as the sacrifice that ultimately aids all people. To have the ability to serve all of humanity is a massive honor; however, that honor does not mean equivocate to ultimate sacrifice. The novel "The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks" By Rebecca Skloot subtly suggests that utilitarianism in medical ethics is necessary, so that everyone may benefit from medical discovery. However, the wounds of the deeply personal side effects, inflicted by utilitarianism, may be more painful than any possible benefit.
It becomes clear while reading the novel, that Henrietta’s unapproved donation to Dr. Gey changed the lives of many. Especially when considering the widely known medical discoveries made possible by HeLa, the pain, unknown, and deception Henrietta Lacks experienced seems quite minor. During the height …show more content…
The reality is, her family was lied to and deceived for more than twenty years. The reality is that Henrietta’s cells did more for medical science that almost anyone else in human history. But the most vital part of these realities to understand is, Henrietta didn’t get to choose any of things for herself. The novel the Immortal Life of Henrietta lacks by Rebecca Skloot has suggested that what happened to Henrietta was justified by the massive benefits it provided. But her families downslide into murder, poverty, and the deep damage they faced outweighs the benefits. In a quote earlier used, it said “...Gey and other researchers…” (Skloot 94). The fact is that Henrietta was beneficial, but not vital to medical science. At the end of the day she still deserves her right to
It becomes clear while reading the novel, that Henrietta’s unapproved donation to Dr. Gey changed the lives of many. Especially when considering the widely known medical discoveries made possible by HeLa, the pain, unknown, and deception Henrietta Lacks experienced seems quite minor. During the height …show more content…
The reality is, her family was lied to and deceived for more than twenty years. The reality is that Henrietta’s cells did more for medical science that almost anyone else in human history. But the most vital part of these realities to understand is, Henrietta didn’t get to choose any of things for herself. The novel the Immortal Life of Henrietta lacks by Rebecca Skloot has suggested that what happened to Henrietta was justified by the massive benefits it provided. But her families downslide into murder, poverty, and the deep damage they faced outweighs the benefits. In a quote earlier used, it said “...Gey and other researchers…” (Skloot 94). The fact is that Henrietta was beneficial, but not vital to medical science. At the end of the day she still deserves her right to