As stated on page 63, at the time, the medicine did not prioritize patient autonomy but rather “benevolent deception.” Doctors would withhold medical information so “as to not confuse or upset patients.” Doctors knew best, and that was that. While it is undeniable that the HeLa cells were responsible for some of the most critical advancements in medicine, it is also clear that their discovery came through morally dubious actions. After her death, her cells, named HeLa cells, were used to study the humane genome, understand the effects of deadly toxins, and to create the polio vaccine. Her cells could survive in a culture and be subjected to otherwise inhumane experiments. During her care at John Hopkins, her cervical cells were unknowingly harvested and found to be “immortal”. ![]() Yet, as highlighted by Skloot, this would not necessarily be the end of Henrietta herself. In January of 1951, she first went to the doctor complaining of a “knot in her womb” by early October, she passed away in John Hopkins’ colored ward. However, the final chapter of Henrietta’s life began when she developed cervical cancer. By 1942, they had moved to Baltimore so that Day could work in a steel mill and hopefully achieve the American dream. Here, she met her cousin, Day Lacks, whom she would marry in 1941 and parent five children with. She was born in Roanoke, Virginia in 1920 and grew up working on her family farm. In Part One of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebbeca Skloot primarily documents the life of Henrietta.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |