This is a fascinating true story about an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks and the contribution her cells have made to modern science. Henrietta was a poor southern tobacco farmer, and when she became ill with cervical cancer, she went to the black ward at Johns Hopkins for treatment. A biopsy was taken without her knowledge or permission, and it was discovered that these cells grew rapidly and would not die like normal cells. Scientists began to grow the cells and used them for many types of experiments. The cervical cancer spread throughout Henrietta's body and she died leaving a husband and five young children. Her cells became known as HELA cells and they are called immortal because they continue to grow and reproduce, unlike typical cells from the body. HELA cells led to the discovery of the Polio vaccine, as well as major breakthroughs in the study of cancer, viruses, and gene mapping.
This is a remarkable book because it is a book about science--but it is also a book about Henrietta and the children she left behind. The cells from Henrietta have been bought and sold by the billions and companies have become wealthy marketing HELA cells, and yet Henrietta's family never received a penny of the profits. Journalist Rebecca Skloot spent ten years researching this compelling story.
