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A Gift Not Given: Henrietta Lack’s Unwilling Contribution to Modern Medicine
This research paper was submitted during my undergraduate degree, for HIST244: The United States After 1884.
The assignment required students to choose an individual in American history between 1884 and present time that we felt made a significant impact but has not (or had not) been properly acknowledged. We were tasked to provide a background on the individual, the way they impacted society at the time, and the continuous impact they still have today.
I chose to commemorate Henrietta Lacks, a young Black woman from Virginia. Diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951, she passed away less than 10 months after being diagnosed. Without her knowledge or consent, doctors at John Hopkins Medical Center had taken samples of her cancer cells, and used them to develop numerous vaccines and treatment procedures for other health conditions. Nicknamed HeLa cells, Henrietta Lacks' cancer cells helped launch medical research beyond what was previously imagined, yet neither she, nor her family, were ever compensated.
The assignment required students to choose an individual in American history between 1884 and present time that we felt made a significant impact but has not (or had not) been properly acknowledged. We were tasked to provide a background on the individual, the way they impacted society at the time, and the continuous impact they still have today.
I chose to commemorate Henrietta Lacks, a young Black woman from Virginia. Diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951, she passed away less than 10 months after being diagnosed. Without her knowledge or consent, doctors at John Hopkins Medical Center had taken samples of her cancer cells, and used them to develop numerous vaccines and treatment procedures for other health conditions. Nicknamed HeLa cells, Henrietta Lacks' cancer cells helped launch medical research beyond what was previously imagined, yet neither she, nor her family, were ever compensated.
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