‘Henrietta Lack’ illustrates ethics, inequalities

Monica Miscavage

Daily Nebraskan

This is a true story. Unbelievable but true. As true stories of this nature go, they often reveal to us something that no one wants to consider: the facts, the ethical dilemmas, the undeniable lack of humanity that plagues the human race and the dark history of race, gender and class in America. The "Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot is no exception.

It is 1950. Henrietta Lacks visits the "colored" ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital with a cervical tumor that would prove to be the first immortal cells harnessed by scientists and used to launch a medical revolution. For decades, scientists had attempted to keep cells alive outside of the human body to no avail until Henrietta Lacks's cells were, without consent, taken and cultured. They are still alive today. Billions of them.

Stripping the cells of their human counterpart, her immortal cells are now known only as HeLa cells. They have been used extensively in the research of cancer, hemophilia and Parkinson's disease and were vital to the advances in cloning, reproduction technologies and vaccinations.

This billion dollar industry thrives, while Henrietta is buried in an unmarked grave near her once slave quarter home in the deeply religious community of Clover, Va. Her family, who has also been subjected to further medical inquiry without consent, has not received a penny and cannot afford health care.

Lacks' story challenges the reader to question not only bioethics but also the ethics concerning the interpretation of spirituality, immortality and the giant, painful question marks left behind for the Lacks family. Their mother is responsible for making antidepressants possible, blood pressure medicine and advances in vaccinations. Her daughter Deborah believes that her mother would have wanted to help, but so many questions still linger for her family.

Is her spirit in those cells? Has someone successfully cloned Henrietta or part of her, parts of her that are a mother, a grandmother, a sister and a wife? Will she ever truly get peace?

Whether one is spiritual or whether the contributions outweigh the individual, shouldn't the beliefs of those who loved her most, and as a living person, be respected? These questions illuminate the ethical fabric of our society and should be considered by everyone, from the first-year biology students to history majors.

This book is not just about ethics or the story of a poor, African-American who was subjected to medical injustices: It is a poignant portrait of American culture, religious differences, historical inequalities and civil rights. It gives insight into the lives of two different cultures and very different beliefs concerning the consequences of Henrietta's cells.

This is the perfect book. It reads like a novel but has the intellectual substance of a science text book or a historical biography; you will be turning pages with the passion of an investigative reporter, calling friends and weighing your own sense of ethics, responsibility and compassion.

monicamiscavage@dailynebraskan.com