Rebecca Skloots: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Essay Sample)

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Rebecca Skloots: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Rebecca Skloot in her book “The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks,” explores the various exploitation issues in Henrietta’s life. She describes the behaviors of the doctors at John Hopkins Hospital and her contribution to the development of medicine especially in cancer research. The book begins by explaining how doctors took samples of her cancer cells without her knowledge or consent and used them in research. They attempted to grow them and keep them alive to conduct their research. After her death the cancer cells, also referred to as HeLa cells were used in research on cancer growth and prevention and has contributed a lot in the fight against cancer. Although Henrietta’s Cells contributed, a lot in research injustice was done to her and Lacks family. The doctors, researchers, and media exploited her and wrote the book to fight any future cases.
The lack of informed Consent, financial compensation, racial and social economic injustice led to vulnerability of Henrietta and her family. Her racial and social economic status at the time did not give her much of a choice. She describes the behaviors of the doctors at John Hopkins Hospital and her contribution to the development of medicine especially in cancer research. Although Henrietta’s Cells contributed, a lot in research injustice was done to her and Lacks family. This book explains what and how that exploitation happened. This was mainly because of their race and social economic status. ). If they had known this in time, they would have taken legal action against the doctors, media, and the hospital for this injustice. In this essay, I will analyze the various aspects of social disadvantage experienced by Henrietta and her family.
Firstly, exploitation began when the doctors without her informed consent took her cells. Doctors performed invasive and vulnerable procedures on patients to conduct research. These procedures were done without their knowledge and were used as experimental patients. It is against code and ethics to use someone’s body parts without the consent of them or their Family if the cells are not used for the purpose of diagnosis. In this case, it was unethical for the doctors to take the cells and not inform the patients of the use of those cells. In the book, an account on how Richard TeLinde and George Grey used and exploited Henrietta by using her cells without her knowledge. The lack of informed Consent, financial compensation, racial and social economic injustice led to vulnerability of Henrietta and her family. Failure to give information to patients amounted to exploitation, as they did not give consent.
Secondly, Henrietta was taken to hospital for treatment of cancer and gave doctors authority to “perform any operative procedures…that they deem necessary in the proper surgical care and treatment of …,” (Skloot, Immortal, pg. 31). In the book, it is evident that the doctors did not use the cells for the intended purpose and used them to conduct research. She describes the behaviors of the doctors at John Hopkins Hospital and her contribution to the development of medicine especially in cancer research. Her racial and social economic status at the time did not give her much of a choice. All hospital staff were white and her being black, the hospital staff did not ask for her consent in using her cancer cells (31). At the time, there were racial segregation and this could be one of the reasons the doctors did not find it necessary to inform the patients, as they did not consider them as equals. Since doctors withheld information from patients, she would not have received sufficient information from then to make an informed decision (63). This environment at John Hopkins hospital made her vulnerable to exploitation.
Thirdly, Hopkins staff and Lacks family were from different races, white and black respectively. This allowed the Hospital employees hide important information, as they did not feel obliged to disclose. After Henrietta’s death, the doctors recommended an autopsy on her body with the aim of taking more samples from her body without disclosing to her family. Her husband accepted the autopsy unknowingly as he did not know exactly why the doctors insisted on taking one. The fact that the doctors did not disclose their real intentions even after her death shows that they did not care. This is one of the greatest medical injustices in mid 20 century and is well documented in this book. Although Henrietta’s Cells contributed, a lot in research injustice was done to her and Lacks family. The racial and social economic status of the two parties made lacks family more vulnerable and succumbed to their recommendations without knowing their real intentions (90).
Fourthly, Henrietta and Lacks family also faced exploitation from other sources. The lack of information on the benefits accrued from cancer research made them not know the value of the cells. Many doctors like Gey recognized this and would give them away without any consideration of the source (94). Lacks family did not receive any form of recognition or compensation and lived in extreme poverty. This was happening even after the HeLa cells became part of a luxurious cell market for researchers as these cells were produced and sold. The lack of informed Consent, financial compensation, racial and social economic injustice led to vulnerability of Henrietta and her family. This was hidden for many years and the family was exploited unknowingly. Today the family has little legal mechanism since time has passed and the ‘statute of limitation’ limits this (328). If they had known this in time, they would have taken legal action against the doctors, media, and the hospital for this injustice. The compensation would have helped them live a better life in light of their mother’s contribution to science.
     Finally, the media also exploited Henrietta and the Lacks family. After her death, the cells were still being produced and used in research, and has contributed to countless medical advancements. Her racial and social economic status at the time did not give he...