Response #3 Chapters (15–22)

In these chapters I have realized that this book is about the challenges a woman with cancer faced and the effects of these circumstances on the people around her. Chapters 15–22 showed me the confusion handed to the Lacks family. I learned of the family members vulnerability at this point in the book. A prime example could come from chapter 15 when Deborah Henrietta’s daughter learns of Elise her other sister who is institutionalized from Lawrence. She doesn’t know much about Elise or even her own mother, I feel as if this shows just how little is communication is among members of the Lack’s family.

Skloot carries us into the life after the death of Henrietta Lacks. Her cells leading a life of their own, totally separate from her. At this time scientist were making these breakthroughs using HeLa. Different medical journals filled with information about HeLa and the impact that these amazing cells were making. It was brought to my attention later in chapter 18 after reading, that scientist were blaming HeLa cells for being a contaminant to other cells when doing studies. They named her cells the hybrid monsters, from this I felt a bit of anger. How do you blame cells, label them as a monster when the real monster is the man who took them without permission. All the blame put on the name HeLa,the comments and names may have not been labeled on Henrietta Lacks right then but in her future when everyone finds out the truth.

My main focus is to really understand where Skloot comes from, with her idea of the doctor’s methods of treatment and work being done unethically,in the case of Mrs.Lacks. We have learned that in the 1950’s and 60’s doctors did not have to disclose much about their work to the patients. They said that a patient could not obtain the amount of understanding as a doctor could, so they did not tell they just did. In chapter 17 I really feel as if I have started to find my validation in Skloot’s idea of things being unethical, when introduced to Dr. Chester Southam. As a resident at Hopkins, he would often do test on patients like injecting them with malignant cells to see how their bodies would react. Now the fact the he saw nothing wrong, and when he did these test “he said nothing about injecting them with someone else’s malignant cells” (127). (meaning he never told his patients about the cells he was injecting)

In reading this book I have found the Skloot’s findings are very fascinating. How she tells the book from multiple points of views, to capture the moment. What really triggers me each time is that I am reading a nonfiction book, to know all of this really happened. Each time I open the book I feel transported into Henrietta’s life. Now reading a Nonfiction book typically is hard because there is so much information, but for me I have found this to be one of the best reads because I have really gotten into the story line.