I first read about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks months ago and have since listened to podcasts of the author, Rebecca Skloot, talk about this incredible story and how it's still playing out. Henrietta Lacks was a poor tobacco farmer from Virginia who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Since then, she has changed all our lives in ways you'd never imagine. When Henrietta was diagnosed, a small piece of her tumor was put aside for later study, without her knowledge or permission. To doctors' and scientists' surprise, her cells continued to replicate at an astonishing rate, allowing them to perform various tests and experiments on the seemingly "immortal" cells. Over time, Henrietta's cells (later referred to as "HeLa" cells - an abbreviation of Henrietta Lacks's name) were used to cure polio, make strides in AIDS and cancer research, and have been used for gene mapping. They've been cloned, gone up in the space shuttle, and tested for the effects from the detonation of an atom bomb. Thanks to Henrietta, human quality (and length) of life has improved vastly...all without the knowledge of or compensation to her bereaved family. Was that the normal procedure at the time (and what's happened since?) or did she receive deferential treatment because she was poor and black? There are HeLa cells in every laboratory in the world. The story goes that if you were to somehow mound all the HeLa cells ever replicated onto one scale, it would weigh over 50 million metric tons. No typo. Up until recently, no one even knew her name. The irony comes in when we find out that Henrietta's family is so poor that they don't even have health insurance. Her widower had a third grade education and didn't even know what a cell was. The story follows the family's realization of the impact their mother has made on the world and their quest for recognition, if not the compensation they are due. I'm not finished yet but so far, a very compelling read. Who cares who got the boot on American Idol? Talk about THIS at the water cooler on Monday.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
What Secret Asian Girl is Reading Now
I first read about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks months ago and have since listened to podcasts of the author, Rebecca Skloot, talk about this incredible story and how it's still playing out. Henrietta Lacks was a poor tobacco farmer from Virginia who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Since then, she has changed all our lives in ways you'd never imagine. When Henrietta was diagnosed, a small piece of her tumor was put aside for later study, without her knowledge or permission. To doctors' and scientists' surprise, her cells continued to replicate at an astonishing rate, allowing them to perform various tests and experiments on the seemingly "immortal" cells. Over time, Henrietta's cells (later referred to as "HeLa" cells - an abbreviation of Henrietta Lacks's name) were used to cure polio, make strides in AIDS and cancer research, and have been used for gene mapping. They've been cloned, gone up in the space shuttle, and tested for the effects from the detonation of an atom bomb. Thanks to Henrietta, human quality (and length) of life has improved vastly...all without the knowledge of or compensation to her bereaved family. Was that the normal procedure at the time (and what's happened since?) or did she receive deferential treatment because she was poor and black? There are HeLa cells in every laboratory in the world. The story goes that if you were to somehow mound all the HeLa cells ever replicated onto one scale, it would weigh over 50 million metric tons. No typo. Up until recently, no one even knew her name. The irony comes in when we find out that Henrietta's family is so poor that they don't even have health insurance. Her widower had a third grade education and didn't even know what a cell was. The story follows the family's realization of the impact their mother has made on the world and their quest for recognition, if not the compensation they are due. I'm not finished yet but so far, a very compelling read. Who cares who got the boot on American Idol? Talk about THIS at the water cooler on Monday.
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