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A Personal Reflection on The Life of Henrietta Lacks

发布时间:2018-06-12
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The Life of Henrietta Lacks: Summer Reading Essay

How would you feel if someone benefited from your body without yourself or your family knowing? This is the problem that Henrietta Lacks and her family had to go through in their lives. Henrietta lacks was an African American woman from the 50’s, who suffered from cervical cancer. Because she was a black woman, she was treated unfairly and didn’t receive the complete and proper treatment she needed. This caused her early death at the age of 31. Shortly after her last pregnancy she decided to visit the doctor because she knew something wasn’t quite right. As the doctor examined her he found a tumor in her cervix that as he described it had an unusual size and color to what he had seen before (Skloot, 7). After finding out her diagnosis Henrietta was scheduled for treatment without the doctors fully explaining her consequences of taking the procedure for example, not being able to have more children in the future. Lacks without asking many question started the treatment. When they were realizing a procedure on Henrietta, the surgeon took samples of the tumor found in her cervix without consent of either Henrietta or her family. These samples were later sent to George Gey, a specialist who had studied cell cultures for years. Quickly after receiving the sample, he and his wife Margaret started growing in several test tubes, with no real hope of it growing or surviving. Something surprisingly happened; they discovered Henrietta’s cells were multiplying at a fast speed. This time they absolutely knew these cells weren’t normal, they were what they call immortal. The cells, called Hela cells based on Henrietta’s name, became one of the most important tools in medical research. They were fundamental for scientist to develop the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. The cells, called Hela cells, became one of the most important tools in medical research. Even now, six decades after her death, her cells are still being used for more scientific research and medical discoveries. Sadly, Henrietta Lacks, the source of the cells was unknown and her family wasn’t informed about the use of her cells and the achievements made in medical science thanks to them. Rebecca Skloot, a curious student, wrote The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks where she told the story of the women behind one of most important science discoveries. She wanted for people to care and for them to give credit to Henrietta, who made it possible for the medical learning to expand. In this book, Skloot tells us the story of Henrietta, how her cells came to be, and the story of her family after her death. At the same time it goes through the history of cell research and contemplates the ethical and legal issues created by it. The main issues that came to mind while reading were: Henrietta’s struggle as well as the struggles her family faced during her illness and the years after her death. In addition to doctors taking samples from Henrietta without her consent and not giving credit or financial support to her family. Basically, there are two sides in this book, the medical side in which it’s ethical and okay for doctor to use her cells forgetting about her and her family. And the Lacks family side in which we see how unfair it has been for them since those cells became immortal. Rebecca Skloot, the author of the book, carefully picks a side. In my opinion, she takes the side of the family and tries to show how unfair it has been for the Lacks.

Communication in my opinion is one of the most important elements between a doctor and patient. With communication patients can ask questions and have an understanding of what is going on with them. Doctors can inform and educate their patients about their illness and their treatment options in order for them to decide what's best for them. They can also involve the patient and family in decisions regarding their medical condition. Without communication doctor-patient relationships fail to exist; just like Henrietta lacks’ doctor-patient relationship did. Henrietta obtained free assistance and treatment from the Kohn Hopkins Hospital. She attended this hospital, “Because it was the only major hospital for miles that treated black patients” (Skloot, 15). During the 1950s, the time Henrietta was treated, doctors often forgot about the human rights people had, especially those who were African Americans. Also during this time patients that were treated in the public side of the Hospital were treated for free. Because of this doctors found it alright for them to conduct experiments and research on them. Since doctors had this way of thinking they took samples of Henrietta’s tumor during her treatment without her consent. Back then consent forms giving doctors permission to take samples from the body didn’t exist so doctors would just do it without even telling their patient. The only form patients would sign was a form allowing doctors to realize surgical procedures on them. Henrietta Lacks signed on of this operation permit form authorizing doctors to operate her while unconscious. During her procedure, No one told her that TeLinde (Surgeon) was collecting samples or asked if she wanted to be a donor” (Skloot, 33). Even though Henrietta had signed an operation permit, it didn’t give the doctors the right to take tissues from her body without her consent or knowledge especially if it would be later used by the hospital. Throughout the book Rebecca Skloot lets us see the unfair treatment Henrietta Lacks received during her medical treatment. In my opinion patients should be able to decide if they want their body parts used for any scientific research because it’s the only thing we are born with and nobody should be able to take it away. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a cell, a malfunctioning organ, skin, etc. they can’t take it away from you if you don't want them to. Doctors and hospitals should respect the fact that maybe some people won't be willing to let them use their body parts for scientific research but they got their reasons and it belongs to them. Individuals who are patients in hospitals should have the right to be informed before any sample is taken away and asked if they are willing to donate it for research.

Henrietta Lacks is a person that has given a great contribution to medical science in the past century, even if she didn’t know about it. Indeed, it took twenty years for her family to become aware about the broad number of cells that had been produced and would be produced in order to expand the studies in medicine. You might be wondering why it took 20 years for her family to find about her cell, when it was one of the greatest discoveries in medical science: well scientist found fascinating how her cell wouldn’t stop reproducing but completely forgot about the woman behind them. When magazines reported this amazing discovery most of the time they wouldn’t mention Henrietta Lacks and, when they did they wrote the wrong name just giving credit to Hela (name of the cells). How can someone that gave such a big contribution be ignored and not recognized for something so big that helped people all over the world. Today’s medical advances are based on practices that now people consider as unethical, whereas back in Henrietta’s time, they didn’t think about ethics. Henrietta Lacks didn’t know tissues had been removed from her during a surgical procedure and, didn’t live enough to find out. Nobody, especially Henrietta had ever imagined that those cells could be used to develop a multimillion-dollar industry. Though their mother’s cells have been bought and sold by large quantities of money, the Lacks families has received nothing from those cells, and live in poverty without access to proper health care. Deborah, Henrietta's daughter, said “people got rich off my mother without us even knowing about them taking her cells, now we don't even get a dime’’(Skloot,12). For decades after Henrietta's death, generations after never received any of the profits. Struggling without insurance, the family should have received payments from the beginning. I think this is one of the biggest points Rebecca Skloot is trying to make through her book. She wants people to know about the woman behind the cells that made medical science improve greatly. As well, show the unfair treatment given to her family after her death. It doesn't make sense how the descendants of the woman who had immortal cells don’t have enough money to have a proper health insurance. Thanks to their mother many vaccines and medications could be created and they can't even get any health attention. This is one of the most illogical things I have heard in my life. In recent time people become famous and receive recognition for insignificant actions such as uploading a video of them doing dancing or doing something funny online. I find it absurd that someone so important in the history of medical science is barely recognized and other people who don't deserve it get more attention.

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