The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary

Chapters 18 and 19 tell the dual stories of trouble that the scientists faced with contaminated cell lines and the personal problems that HenriettaвЂ™s children were experiencing no doubt as a function of her early passing (Skloot 129).ДЇirstly, the medical experiments revealed that at some point, some of the cells in question had been contaminated with other lines this meant that the rigor of the research was called into question and the researchers must go back and trace the mutations as a function of this contamination. She juxtaposes the fact that the tomb itself is unmarked with the fact that the only remainder of Henrietta still in this world is her children and the cells which have continued to be kept, monitored, and multiplied. The author further uses this personal commentary to discuss the gravesite of Henrietta. The author juxtaposes this personal story with the fact that HeLa was beginning to experience a great deal of discussion in the media of that time as news articles began to be published.Дue to the fact that doctor-patient confidentiality was becoming an issue at the time, the patient was merely referred to in the news stories as Helen L. The children bounced from one location to the next, at one location the 2-year-old girl was sexually abused until they finally were reunited with Bobette and moved in with her. As with previous chapters within the book, the author runs between analyzing the medical research that is being carried out on the вЂњstill livingвЂќ cells of Henrietta while contrasting this with the life that her children and family she left behind experienced.ДЄlthough medical experimentation was continuing and advancing, HenriettaвЂ™s family was experiencing trauma as a direct result of the lack of a mother.

HeLa became less and less of a person and more of a resource and a medical material rather than evidence of an original human being that gave rise to such cells. Due to the fact that at its peak around 20,000 test tubes a week were being produced at Tuskeegee, it was at this juncture that the idea of personhood began to be diminished within the eyes of the researchers.

The immortal life of henrietta lacks summary