The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

She was a mother of five, a terrific cook, loved to go out dancing with her cousin, and never went out without making sure her red toenails were painted to perfection. Although she was a poor tobacco farmer, she lived life to the fullest. Except to her family and small community, this woman was unknown to the world. But then cervical cancer changed the course of her history, her children's history, and that of the world of science forever.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks. She was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951 for treatment of an agressive strain of cervical cancer. Cells from her tumor were taken without her knowledge or consent. Those cells have launched a scientific revolution, responsible for discoveries including the polio vaccine, chemotherapy treatments, and invitro-fertilization procedures. She died nearly 60 years ago, yet her cells continue to thrive and continue to be used for scientific and medical research. But while her cells have been mulitiplying and while researchers and doctors have cashed in on discoveries related to her cells and while the public benefits from vaccines and treatments that her cells have helped discover, Henrietta Lacks's children have not faired as well.

As I am not the scientific type, I went into this read with a little trepidation. But I am so glad I went for it. This novel brings to life the fact that behind all medical research, there is indeed a human connection involved. Because we are so wrapped up in finding cures and breakthroughs, we lose focus of that emotional factor. This book reminds us that behind that cancerous tumor, behind those cancerous cells, there once lived a human with a life and a family, someone who was loved and someone who had loved back. And that person deserves a name, and her history deserves to be preserved, and her family deserves to be dignified. Henrietta Lacks will now truly be immortal thanks to Rebecca Skloot.

To Kill a Mockingbird

It's a funny thing when you go back and re-read a book. Sometimes you remember it word for word as it's unfolding; sometimes you pick up interesting little bits and pieces that you never caught before; and sometimes it's a whole new story as if you've never read it in the first place. For some crazy reason, when I started reading this one again, it was like I had never read it before. I can only think of two possible explanations why I don't remember To Kill a Mockingbird.

First of all, I know this was assigned reading in high school, which might explain why I didn't remember a whole lot of it. I usually don't like to be "told" what I "have" to read. I like to make choices for myself. So there is some possibility that the inner rebel in me had come out (as it did when I had to read Moby Dick) and made the choice not to read it with the hope of being able to fly by the seat of my pants on just the class discussions themselves.

Secondly, I do remember watching the movie in class after we discussed and finished the book. I remember Boo Radley, Scout, and her brother Jem; and most of all I remember the court trial. So perhaps I'm just remembering the movie and not the book. . . or confusing the movie with the book. . . or maybe I just truly don't remember anything about it at all.

Oh, well. Whatever the reason may be, I discovered new information in this story that I had somehow escaped my teen years. It took me a long time to read this one, but it was worth the re-introduction.