Henrietta Lacks Free Essays

Henrietta Lacks Cells taken from a young African American woman in 1951 helped scientists cure polio. Cells from the same woman contributed to scientific advantages in cancer, gene mapping, and even the atom bomb. The mother of five did not life to know her cells had such importance. We will write a custom essay sample on Henrietta Lacks or any similar topic only for you Order Now She never knew, in fact, that they were being harvested. Today’s medical advances are based on practices that people now consider unethical, whereas back when Henrietta live, they did not even think twice about ethics. Henrietta Lacks did not know the cells taken from her could possibly be used to develop a multimillion-dollar medical industry. In an even crueler twist of fate, her descendants lived in poverty without access to affordable health care. The book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, tells the story of a women, Henrietta Lacks, and her family. Ms. Lacks was treated for cervical cancer at John’s Hopkins Hospital in 1951. Her malignant cervical cells were harvested and distributed to become the first â€Å"immortal† cell line widely used for scientific research, including their use in the development of the polio vaccine. The story tells what happened after Ms. Lacks’ death to her family, a poor African American family living in Maryland. A family who, today, would be considered poor. The story brings up key ethical issues of biomedical research, which were evolving during that era (Skloot, Rebecca). Henrietta Lacks died of an aggressive cervical cancer that invaded virtually her entire body in 1951. A common practice at the time, samples of cancer cells were taken for study. Some cells were taken by a researcher who was attempting to develop immortal cell lines for scientific purposes. In the 1950’s, the practice of taking routine tissue samples without consent from patients was not uncommon, and anonymising the source wasn’t a main concern. HeLa cells and the concerns that surrounded them touched on several issues in medicine. One was the issue of using tissue samples without consulting patients, many of whom would freely donate if asked. Changes in how such samples are taken and handled, and in the processes used to collect consent, have improved the use of informed consent in research. Patients submitting biopsies for diagnostic purposes, for example, might be asked if they are willing to donate cells to research (Smith, S. E. ). if a doctor wanted to diagnose, treat, experiment or keep body parts, that’s what he did. Patients never questioned doctors they were trusted implicitly. Consent was conferred by the simple step of showing up in a doctor’s office. Today, we know we need to understand and ask questions, and then our consent is necessary legally. Further, we understand the importance of withholding consent until we feel fully informed about the benefits and consequences of what that consent will mean. There were not conformed consent laws until recently. Informed consent is more than simply getting a patient to sign a written consent form. It is a process on communication between a patient and physician that results in the patients’ authorization or agreement to undergo a specific medical intervention (Informed Consent). Since everyone has different preferences, there will always be differences in the treatment of care among people. This becomes a problem when physicians have a bias against certain races and ethics. As a physician, all treatment options should be discussed and equally available to patients, regardless of their race or ethnicity which results in informed consent on the patients’ behalf. There was a lack of respect, or an inability to communicate, in both directions, between blacks and doctors back in the 1850’s. Skin color, and the problems that can result from low income, lack of education, and illiteracy; the inability to read, and/or understand the English language also contributed to the mistreatment of blacks. Patients overcome those challenges by finding a respectful doctor, or a supporter to help the,. Back when Henrietta lived, that was not easy to fins. Differences in healthcare outcomes can result from the history of different races too. Henrietta was treated with radiation, which left her body burned and blackened. She and her family asked themselves many times whether the treatment was really helping her – but they never considered asking the doctor to do something different, make a different recommendation, or even just to stop. Skloot, Rebecca) today, empowered patients know that they can insert themselves into all decision-making about their own medical care. They can and should discuss any and all protocols to make decisions as part of their own healthcare team. And, empowered patients know that if they want to, they can say, â€Å"No. † In conclusion, informed consent was not needed when Henrietta lived; therefore scientists took her cells without her knowing. A d octor did what HE wanted to do. But today, we now know that consent is legality. Any treatments should be discussed with the patient regardless of their race or their illness. Henrietta was mistreated, her body was burned, but her and her family did not want to question the doctor in fear or being looked down on. But today patients know that they have the right to know exactly what is being done to them, and can ask any questions they feel necessary. If it were not for the doctors and scientists that had taken Henrietta’s cells, we today, would not have the advancements in healthcare that we do. How to cite Henrietta Lacks, Essay examples Henrietta Lacks Free Essays The characters from the book, â€Å"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks† become attached to objects that are meaningful to them. It is noticed that a certain object had a significant meaning by analyzing the scene and the character. Dr. We will write a custom essay sample on Henrietta Lacks or any similar topic only for you Order Now Geys assistant, Mary described Henrietta Lacks red nail polish on her toes. She described Henrietta being an actual woman, something Mary never thought of. Henrietta’s relatives described Henrietta with her red nail polish. The red nail polish was a meaningful object to Henrietta because it completed her. Dr. Gey was attached to Hela cells once he made the incredible observation. He didn’t experiment for money, he genuinely did it for science. He sent the Hela cells for other scientists to experience the cells for themselves. He changed science for his genuine passion for it. Perhaps the most interesting character, Deborah Lacks, was attached to a few things. While Deborah was with Rebecca, she showed her the contents in her purse. She carried everything she had about her mother with her. There were videotapes, documentaries, articles, and a few birthday cards that Deborah bought for her mother, Henrietta. Deborah was attached to these items because that was all she knew about her mother. In a way, that was how she felt connected to Henrietta. A few days later when Rebecca was with Deborah, Rebecca noticed a folder on her pillow. They were Henrietta’s medical folders. Deborah wouldn’t let Rebecca touch her mothers medical folder. Unlike all the other items Deborah let Rebecca see, Henrietta’s medical folder was different. And it clearly had a different, more significant meaning than the other items. How to cite Henrietta Lacks, Essay examples Henrietta Lacks Free Essays The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Introduction The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is written by Rebecca Skloot, who is an award winning science writer. The story is of a young black women, Henrietta Lacks, who was diagnosed with cancer in 1951, at the John Hopkins Hospital. Cells were taken from her body during her examinations, without her knowledge. We will write a custom essay sample on Henrietta Lacks or any similar topic only for you Order Now They were used to develop the first immortal cell line. Her cells became very important for the development of vaccines. Her family, however, has not received any benefit and still cannot even afford health insurance. They do not even know that the cells belong to Henrietta. This has raised many ethical questions on the research that has been done using Henrietta’s cells. Discussion Henrietta’s life had not been an easy one. Long before she got ill with cancer; her father abandoned her in childhood. She was married at a very early age. At the age of 14; she was a mother. She then moved to the Turner Station with her husband, who was not so faithful to her. At Turner Station, she and her family faced a life of segregation and poverty. Despite all the difficulties that she faced in her life, she still remained an enthusiastic person. She had a spirit that was not able to break. She was described by her friends as a person having a cheerful disposition. She was an also a person who was quick to laugh. She would also go out dancing with her cousin Sadie. The most important and strong side of Henrietta was her motherhood. Her cousin, Sadie also suspected that she delayed seeking medical attention, because she was afraid that it might affect her fertility and prevent her from having more children. She was extremely heart broken when she realized that the surgery has made her infertile. She was angry and sad at the fact that the doctors did not tell her beforehand that what the surgery would do to her. When her condition worsened, the doctors told her husband not to bring her children to visit her. This made her even more heart broken and devastated. She and her family, especially her children, led a very difficult life. Even after her death, her family and her children were not told about the cells of Henrietta being used in research. They were not given nay benefit, whatsoever, of the research on her cells and the huge mounts of money generated from it. The Lacks family is so poor even now that they cannot afford even life insurance. Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah, did not know anything at all about the importance and the use of her mother’s cells. She was devastated to learn about the cells of her mother. She was filled with many questions that nobody was able to answer. She was curious to know that if her mother’s cells were so important and have helped medical science so much. Why were her children not even able to afford health insurance for themselves? Henrietta was a very sociable person. She would have allowed the John Hopkins institute to carry out research on her cells. She was a person who was very close to her family. She would have wanted the John Hopkins Institute to take care of her family and children if they used her cells. She would never have wanted her family to be treated the way they were treated back then and even now. Conclusion Henrietta was a very strong woman. Her contribution to medical science has been exceptional. However, her family should also have been given benefits. How to cite Henrietta Lacks, Essay examples