Journal Entry 1 by CrazyDutchwoman from Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, July 03, 2011

Back in 1951, a poor African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in the "colored" ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Before she died, scientists harvested tissue from her cervix. Dubbed HeLa cells, these were the first human cells to thrive in culture, spawning an industry that has changed medical research and is worth billions today. These cells have been instrumental in viral and cancer research, as well as in developing the polio vaccine and drugs to treat leukemia, influenza, hemophilia, herpes and Parkinson's disease.

Yet, as science reporter Rebecca Skloot discovered in her intrepid 10-year pursuit of the woman, her family and the ethical issues behind the famous HeLa cells, Henrietta's children continued to live in poverty, unremunerated for their mother's contribution to medical science and unaware of her strange immortality. Approached by scientists to donate their own cell samples for gene research, they were discomfited to learn that parts of their mother had even gone up in space missions to test what would happen to human cells in zero gravity.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a remarkable feat of investigative journalism and a moving work of narrative nonfiction that reads with the vividness and urgency of fiction. It also raises sometimes uncomfortable questions with no clear-cut answers about whether people should be remunerated for their physical, genetic contributions to research and about the role of profit in science. 

Journal Entry 2 by CrazyDutchwoman at Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Sunday, July 03, 2011

Read from May 15 to 18, 2011

Finished this book last night.
I did not know beforehand what this book would be about so when I started reading about cells and tissue matter and cancer I thought to myself. O no, This is not a book for me! The next morning I woke up and felt a pain and immediately thought "do I have cancer?" Yes I am a bit of a hypochondriac, I admit it. lol.
Anyways, I did find it very interesting cause I had the worst biology teacher ever (or maybe it was me come to think of it, worst pupil?) and do not know much about that subject.
After reading half I did have a bit of a How shall I call it, not really wanting to read more cause I did not really like the way the family of Henriette acted in the book but I am glad I read on. I've learned a lot and even though it appears these people seemingly always shout, I see the good in them and understand now better how hard it was for them to find out.
The questions at the end of the book are intriguing and I am planning to google more about tissue donation, the law about that , Hela cells and the likes. So after all I am not regretting having bought this book.