The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

My book club read a non-fiction book this time, the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  According to the research found by our discussion leader, Skloot is not your typical writer.  Unable to succeed in high school because of her blatant dislike of the traditional education methods, she thrived in alternative high school where she could pursue her passions.  One of her passions was lit when a biology teacher told her that the HeLa cells in most labs were from a woman named Henrietta Lacks.  Skloot had an unusual biology teacher because most people thought the cell donor was Helen Lane.  Lack's physician, wanting to keep the Lacks family from knowing the whole story, told everyone it was Helen Lane.  After he died, the real story came out.  Henrietta, a poor black patient at John's Hopkins hospital, died in the 1950's from a virulent form of cervical cancer.  She died a painful death.  Her cancerous cells lived on and are still living today.   The combined weight of her cancer cells are more than what Henrietta ever weighed in her life.  There is something very unusual in Henrietta's cancer cells.  They keep dividing and dividing.  Other cells die after dividing three times but not hers.  They're still dividing today and be found in virtually every lab in the country.  Other cells need the right conditions to thrive.  Henrietta's cells can divide even while being mailed across the country.  Henrietta's cancerous cells are so unusual they almost sound like science fiction.  Rebecca tells about Henrietta's life.  She grew up poor, deprived,  uneducated, molested, violated and abused.  Just like her cancer cells, Henrietta persevered. She was a good mother.  She strives for a better life for her children.  This was not an easy book to read. What she went though and what her children went through is terrible.  Her children and grandchildren are asking, "Why were Henrietta's cells taken without her consent and without her knowledge?"  "Why are some medical supply companies rich from the profit of selling Henrietta's cancer cells while the Lacks family cannot afford to go to a doctor?"  "Why doesn't the medical community acknowledge the contributions Henrietta made to science?"  I think it's great that Rebecca Skloot put the Lack's family questions into a book. She has also started a foundation so that Henrietta's children, grandchildren, and future great grandchildren can have some financial assistance with medical bills or college education.  We had a great discussion about the book.  A couple book club members are in the medical profession so it helps to have their insight.  This was one of the better non fiction books that I have read for a while.