The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Registered by Flyinfox of Elizabeth, New Jersey USA on 1/31/2011
This book is in a Controlled Release!
This book is in a Controlled Release!
1 journaler for this copy...
This book is an important piece of History and should be recommended reading for all who want to enter into the field of medicine.
It is the story of one Henrietta Lacks. More so, it is the story of her cells and how they revolutionized the medical industry. Also, it is a story of all the ramifications of the doctor-patient relationship, a story of ethics and a story a family that was devastated by the tragic events of Henrietta.
This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. Human kind owes a debt of gratitude to Henrietta Lacks who was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in 1951. Based on a genetic mistake, instead of dying as her cervical cells were supposed to, they survived, multiplied and flourished. In fact, they still exist today. When researches need to test for the various illnesses that crop up, they take Henrietta's Cells, known as HeLa, to test how viruses behave at the cellular level.
So, if you consider all the breakthroughs in modern medicine. Everything from Polio, to the Flu Virus, to STDS, to HIV and Aids, HeLa was there to help solve the problem. And the crime of it all was that as a poor African American Woman, and African American family, not only did they not get told what was going on but they received zero profits from the sales of Henrietta's cells. A sad part of the story is when the family sites that individuals and companies are getting rich off off the HeLa cells and the family is having problems affording health insurance.
Rebecca Skloot is a wonderful medical journal who not only captures the frustration of the Lacks family but also the frustrations of the medical profession as they try to come through with the breakthroughs in science. She clearly explains the politics behind HeLa as well as the outcome of the individuals involved. She also gave good layman's terms as explanations for many of the medical terms used.
This story was excellent. I found myself crying for the family at the end. For me, this book is a keeper and will remain in the permanent collection. I highly recommend anyone reading this book. In fact, know this. That if you go out and purchase this book, part of the proceeds go towards a trust fund for the education of Henrietta Lack's grand children and beyond. So in essence, by picking up this book you will not only get a great read, but you will be contributing to a great cause.
This book gets a perfect score in my eyes!
It is the story of one Henrietta Lacks. More so, it is the story of her cells and how they revolutionized the medical industry. Also, it is a story of all the ramifications of the doctor-patient relationship, a story of ethics and a story a family that was devastated by the tragic events of Henrietta.
This is a wonderful piece of historical fiction. Human kind owes a debt of gratitude to Henrietta Lacks who was diagnosed with Cervical Cancer in 1951. Based on a genetic mistake, instead of dying as her cervical cells were supposed to, they survived, multiplied and flourished. In fact, they still exist today. When researches need to test for the various illnesses that crop up, they take Henrietta's Cells, known as HeLa, to test how viruses behave at the cellular level.
So, if you consider all the breakthroughs in modern medicine. Everything from Polio, to the Flu Virus, to STDS, to HIV and Aids, HeLa was there to help solve the problem. And the crime of it all was that as a poor African American Woman, and African American family, not only did they not get told what was going on but they received zero profits from the sales of Henrietta's cells. A sad part of the story is when the family sites that individuals and companies are getting rich off off the HeLa cells and the family is having problems affording health insurance.
Rebecca Skloot is a wonderful medical journal who not only captures the frustration of the Lacks family but also the frustrations of the medical profession as they try to come through with the breakthroughs in science. She clearly explains the politics behind HeLa as well as the outcome of the individuals involved. She also gave good layman's terms as explanations for many of the medical terms used.
This story was excellent. I found myself crying for the family at the end. For me, this book is a keeper and will remain in the permanent collection. I highly recommend anyone reading this book. In fact, know this. That if you go out and purchase this book, part of the proceeds go towards a trust fund for the education of Henrietta Lack's grand children and beyond. So in essence, by picking up this book you will not only get a great read, but you will be contributing to a great cause.
This book gets a perfect score in my eyes!
Leaving this book with my Ex. She wants to read it.
