Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Words: 536

Pages: 3

Open Document

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a very intriguing story. The story follows the Lacks family as they deal with the main character, Henrietta Lacks’ battle with cervical cancer and the aftermath of her death. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks begins in 1951, a time where racism and segregation still existed. The Lacks were poor and medical care was reserved for issues where they had no other choice but to see a doctor. In the opening Henrietta visits Johns Hopkins Hospital complaining of bleeding and a knot in her stomach. She was unaware if this was a result of STDs due to her husband’s infidelity or giving birth earlier. Doctor’s originally said everything was fine and sent her home only to find later that she had cervical cancer. Henrietta returned to Johns Hopkins for further testing and radium treatment. While there samples of her cells are taken from her cervix without her or her family’s knowledge or approval. Those cells eventually began to grow very rapidly. Dr. Gey soon realized that he had grown the first immortal human cell which became known as HeLa for Henrietta Lacks. As Henrietta returned to John Hopkins for treatment it becomes very clear that she is not being treated properly by her doctors due partly to the color of her skin and financial status. They failed to …show more content…
HeLa has been used for many innovations such as Polio vaccines, cancer research, etc. Most researchers that used HeLa for research never even knew who Henrietta Lacks was or recognized her in any way. Drug companies made billions from research and innovation from HeLa, however, Henrietta’s family still lived in poverty. The story also gives us a look into the corrupt actions of such people as Dr. Southam who injected the cells in patients and prisoners without their permission in order to test his theory. Henrietta’s sons and husband were furious that they had not received any money from her cell

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Henrietta Lacks was a young black woman who began to experience pain after giving birth to her fourth child. She visited a doctor saying she had a “knot on her womb” and was referred to John Hopkins Hospital. John Hopkins hospital was the only hospital that treated black patients around that time. After her examination, Dr. Howard Jones confirmed that Henrietta Lacks had a purple lump on her cervix. Dr. Richard TeLinde and Dr. George Gey, were two of the best researchers at John Hopkins. Dr. Gey…

Words 736 - Pages 3

Research Paper On Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta Lacks’ Reality made her become immortal. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is about an African American woman whose cancerous cells were stolen to change medicine. Henrietta lived during the jim crow era. As a minority, she has gone through so many more obstacles than others. She grew up on a farm with very little income and many people to care for. She had to become strong for her family and for herself. These obstacles made her emotionally strong enough to be calm at the moment she…

Words 262 - Pages 2

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Henrietta Lacks was born in Roanoke Virginia, on August 1, 1920. Henrietta had eight siblings, and unfortunately his mother Eliza Lacks Pleasant, died when she was giving birth to her tenth child. Johnny Pleasant, Henrietta's father did not have the patience to raising all children, He took the decision to return to Clover, Virginia where his family worked in the tobacco plantations. Johnny distributed his children with his family and Henrietta stayed with her grandfather Tommy Lacks. In her childhood…

Words 816 - Pages 4

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Tonya Reyes -Dickerson – Med 100 Independence University Write a paper to suggest a solution to how this situation should be handled both ethically and legally and defend it. Be sure to include the evidence from the excerpt that supports your decision. You should also include at least one external source to support your solution. The paper must be 500 words or more. TONYA REYES-DICKERSON WK 4 ASSIGNMENT- MED100 2 This paper is on Henrietta Lacks a poor African…

Words 775 - Pages 4

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Henrietta Lacks was a young African American woman whose cervical cells were stolen from her and used in scientific research without her or her family’s knowledge. A woman looking for cancer treatment turned into one of the most important tools in medicine for years to come after her death. The story of her and her family is nothing short of heartbreaking but also amazing. It covers not only ethics in medicine, but also shows the inherent and blatant racism of the medical community before the end…

Words 2691 - Pages 11

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

EMRAP 14 March 2024 “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” Reflection "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" sheds light on the hidden narrative of Henrietta Lacks and her “immortal” HeLa cells, which profoundly impacted the practices in the field of medical research. Taking place during the era of Jim Crow Laws, Henrietta Lacks was a poor African American woman who was being treated for cervical cancer at John Hopkins University. Before treatment, Henrietta signed a consent to treatment form, allowing…

Words 926 - Pages 4

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

save thousands. With this immensely impressive feat, one would instantly become a household name. But imagine after all of this, for years, your name and story would be virtually unquestioned and almost certainly unknown. This was the case for Henrietta Lacks, known only as HeLa for years following her…

Words 329 - Pages 2

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

average American. A prime example of this is HeLa cells. Henrietta Lacks was a Black woman born in Virginia in 1920. One day she went to the doctor because she felt a knot in her womb and soon after she learned that she had cancer. Henrietta went to John Hopkins Hospital because it was the only hospital that offered free segregated medical healthcare to blacks. The procurement of the cells is the biggest ethical factor in the equation. Henrietta went into the Hopkins hospital to get her first radium…

Words 1249 - Pages 5

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

In the making of her award-winning book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot interviews the family of Henrietta Lacks to uncover the story of the creator of HeLa, the world’s first immortal cells that revolutionized medical science and led to cures for many deadly diseases and medical conditions. Despite Henrietta’s major contribution to the medical field, her children continue to suffer because of her death. Because she died early on in her children’s lives, her youngest daughter…

Words 274 - Pages 2

Henrietta Lacks Research Paper

Henrietta Lacks, a woman known for liking to help others. She was the first person to be known to have immortal cells. Her cells were taken from her and used in many medicines and researches. They soon were sent around the world to scientist wanting to research them. The cells were able to create vaccines, perform new tests, helped cloning and launch the field of virology. Although Henrietta never knew about the use of her cells and her family found out years later, her family was more curious than…

Words 1083 - Pages 5