The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Hissy_Fitz
Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
I am reading this book now and it is fascinating. Briefly, the cells from Henrietta Lacks cancerous cervix in the early 1950's are alive and well today, having beneffited millions of people, especially my generation, as they were used to perfect the polio vaccine. The cells were the backbone of virtually all cancer research, as well.

Here's a link to the book's web site. It is supposed to be made into a movie soon.

http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/

I'm thinking we all owe Henrietta a huge "thank you".

Carlene

Comments

  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #2
    Hi Carlene,
    I recently heard
    Hi Carlene,

    I recently heard of this amazingly fascinating story!

    I have yet to read the actual book, but I've come by the knowledge of this history of this lady and her family by way of a documentary I saw on television perhaps a few months back.

    It truly is a riveting story as well as her husband at that time and her descendants were unaware that her cells were being used all of these decades for this research.

    I will look for the movie too and hope it does the actual story justice.


    Sharon
  • azgrandma
    azgrandma Member Posts: 609 Member
    #3
    msfanciful said:

    Hi Carlene,
    I recently heard
    Hi Carlene,

    I recently heard of this amazingly fascinating story!

    I have yet to read the actual book, but I've come by the knowledge of this history of this lady and her family by way of a documentary I saw on television perhaps a few months back.

    It truly is a riveting story as well as her husband at that time and her descendants were unaware that her cells were being used all of these decades for this research.

    I will look for the movie too and hope it does the actual story justice.


    Sharon

    will look
    going to look now

Discussion Boards