The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I think I first read about HeLa cells in my random science readings when I was a teenager. I remember being fascinated (as I still am) with the idea of an immortal human cell line and the fact that the cancer lived on even after the death of Henrietta Lacks. But there was a huge blank in the story—I couldn't find any information about the woman herself.

In 1951, a sample from Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer was taken without her consent or knowledge and cultured. It became the world's first immortal human cell line and one of the most important research tools in medicine. The cells helped develop the polio vaccine, point out the causes of cancer, and lead the way to cancer cures.

Her family found out about the cells 20 years after Henrietta's death. They were devastated by the revelation. They had just read about the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and the news of their mother and wife's living cells conjured a similar horror in their minds. Even later they found out that millions of dollars have been made off of HeLa, while most of her family could not (and still cannot) afford health insurance.

Rebecca Skloot spent 10 years getting to know the family and researching Henrietta's life. She has written an amazing work in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, detailing Henrietta and her descendants' lives. She brings to life the family, their emotions, and the science in her wonderfully clear and fascinating writing. Finally, Henrietta's story is told.