The Henrietta Lacks Story

Old African proverb. Until the Lion has his/her own storyteller the hunter will always tell His-Story which in this case study is soo close to the truth. A Black Woman Henrietta Lacks at the age of 31 was diagnosed with cervical cancer and died October 4, 1951 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. During the last 8 months of her life a piece of Henrietta's Cervix though cancerous was removed without her or her family's consent, in a biopsy, re-named HE-LA in order to steal her cells and legally get away with it, sold to research labs all over the world for billions which none of the Lacks family received a dime from the proceeds even until this day. What made Henrietta's cells so great was they began to  to reproduce boisterously in a lab at Johns Hopkins. The first human cells ever to do so. HeLa went viral, so to speak, becoming the godmother of virology and then biotech, benefiting practically anyone who’s ever taken a pill stronger than aspirin. Scientists have grown some 50 million metric tons of her cells, and you can get some for yourself simply by calling an 800 number. HE-LA cells were also used in developing the first Polio Vaccine, used to develop medicines to fight Cancer, Parkinsons, the Flu, Gene Mapping and cloning.  By 1973, Lacks’s children were shocked to learn that their mother’s cells were still alive, HeLa cells were used to test the effects of atomic radiation then sent into outer space. What happened to Henrietta Lacks is nothing new for european doctors have been using black folks as guinea pigs, taking blood, cells without our their consent, selling them to scientists for a fortune as our cells have been used for their benefit but what makes Henrietta so important is that her story was leaked to the public to let them know that black people are what steers this world and without us there wouldnt be one. Thank you Henrietta.