Rebecca Skloot Feels Indebted to Henrietta Lacks

Henrietta's life story, as are most life stories, was well worth learning about and studying, whether her HeLa cells were used in medical research or not.

The unusual "immortality" of the HeLa cells was discovered after they were removed from Mrs. Lacks' body in the routine course of her treatment. To discard them for any reason would have resulted in uncounted deaths and immeasurable suffering. Discussions of this book seem frequently turn to their profitability while disregarding the contribution of researchers to the beneficial developments that followed their collection. The cells alone didn't do anything constructive; scientific research is the true hero if this story.

One of the things that struck me in the book is how recent slavery was in this country and how far reaching those effects have been and continue to be on black communities. This may sound obvious, but as a white person living around largely white communities in the Pacific Northwest, slavery is something I read in history books only. Reading about how a Henrietta Lack's poverty, home and early marriage, a reader could easily draw a direct line between her slave ancestors, to her share cropper life, to the impoverishment and challenges of the successive generations. It may be time to consider reparations to decendents of slaves.

There are thousands of human cell lines used in medical research today. Many of these were obtained without consent. The origin of HeLa cells has been over-sensationalized to weave a story that taps in to the collective guilt of affluence suffered by uninformed readers (and now viewers). Having your cells used in research is no more of a contribution than having your remains used as fertilizer in a community garden. Instead, the appeal of this story is for those who see social injustice at every turn and need an artifact on to which they can project their own deep-seated prejudices. This story is exactly the kind of cathartic pablum that has infected our bookstands.

I thought that Michael Gold's book was much more original and well-research.

A Conspiracy of Cells: One Woman's Immortal Legacy and the Medical Scandal It Caused. January, 1986. State University of New York Press
by Michael Gold

As a scientist the story of Ms Lacks is compelling and very interesting. However what the story fails to disclose is that there are thousands of Henrietas. Tissues of all sorts are used in medical research and practice every day, your "aunt Gertrude's" colon cancer could be all over the world right now being used for one thing or another. This comes from the legal and common practice that tissues are "owned", unless otherwise stated, by the organization that collected it and did the testing. Every time you get a blood test you are doing exactly the same thing. Left over tissue is otherwise considered waste.

I too, read this marvelous book when it was first published. I was absolutely mesmerized. Yesss.....truth really can be stranger than fiction. And I agree with others: EVERYBODY should know Henrietta's story. And she should be publicly acknowledged! Thanks for the reminder to go back and re-read this incredible story.

I have read Ms. Skloot's book and can say that it is a wonderful, well-researched, and informative story. Henrietta Lacks has made incredible and numerous contributions to science and medicine that we all benefit from and would do well to learn about. I can't wait to watch the movie rendering of the story!

A terrific story that evoked Baltimore (my hometown) in the second half of the 20th century.

Should be required reading in public schools.
Science History English....

Her role is absolutely analogous to the scientists' profiting off the HeLa cells. The book lays bare for the world painful and intimate details of Ms Lacks' medical situation and domestic situations, as well as of her family's ongoing struggles. Her family at least was able to make the choice about whether to cooperate with this author; Ms. Lacks had no say over the matter, just as she was never asked about the use of her cells. I've never understood how this book was greeted so rapturously by critics and readers without much if any discussion of that irony. Indeed, this interview is the first where I've seen the question asked.

I feel this is one of list of 100 books to read in one's life time. I'm so excited that this is made into a movie. I wish this book can be translated into every language and the world reads and recognizes that we are all connected:)) Thank You…. Thank You Ms. Skloot for this great book

This was an extraordinary book from a courageous and thoughtful journalist. Thank you for revealing this incredible history.

As Bernie says, we're the only developed country that doesn't guarantee health care, so no surprise that is what everyone overseas couldn't believe. It's disgraceful.

Ms. Skloot was the plenary speaker at a conference I attended a few years ago. I enjoyed her talk immensely and thoroughly enjoyed the book.

She seems to have threaded the needle of this affair in exactly the right way - bringing a much needed story to light, humility, respect for the Lacks family, true friendship with the lacks family and awareness of her privilege.

I wish Ms. Skloot and the Lacks family all the best.

Thank you, Henriette Lacks. YOU are an American Hero.

The very end of this interview is the most revealing and provocative. I read Skloot's book sometime ago and in addition to the human drama involved the most important realization it left me with was that we are so desperately unfair in this great country when it comes to health care. We don't seem to have a collective grasp of how sad and demeaning this is. Why don't we have universal health care--why do we play with our own safety and future by making it so difficult to get good health care? Henrietta Lacks story is very much looped into this deeper issue. It would be wise for Americans to realize that although the explosive issue with the Lacks family continues to be the money related to the use of Henrietta's cells, the difficulty in getting good health care was a considerable problem that ensnares all Americans long after her death.

This book and Henrietta are amazing. It made me think about how through time poor people, women and minorities have been left out of history for amazing contributions to society.

This book has become my favorite non-fiction book. I buy it for everyone I love. You did a monumental job, Ms. Skloot. I can't wait to see the film.

This is a great, and scientifically accurate, book. One of my Top Ten all time favorites. Please, read this book, you will be truly informed.