The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Kaylee Yoder

"I don't want to be immortal if it means living forever, cause then everybody else die and get old in front of you... But maybe I'll come back as some HeLa cells, that way we can do good together out there in the world." - Deborah Lacks

kayleeay — 2023-12-04 16:38:06 UTC

I appreciate this quote because it shows that while Henrietta's family was rightfully upset about how her cells were wrongfully taken without consent, they still were able to see the positive impacts Henrietta left on this world.

kayleeay — 2023-12-04 16:38:54 UTC

Application of class content: The healthcare providers "treating" Henrietta Lacks failed her and failed to uphold the ethical standards of their professions in a multitude of respects, such as veracity, fidelity, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and patient autonomy.

kayleeay — 2023-12-04 16:39:30 UTC

By not treating Henrietta's cancer properly, failing to educate her about any treatment she was receiving, failing to get her consent to use her cells for research, and failing to inform her family, it's clear these healthcare providers showed no regard for ethical principles in this case.

Future Application

kayleeay — 2023-12-04 16:39:53 UTC

I plan to apply the knowledge learned from Henrietta's story to become the best advocate I can be for patients. If I notice any unethical practices happening, I will stand up for my patient's rights and safety. This case showed no regard for any ethical principles which led to this morally unjust act. By upholding the ethical principles of the nursing profession, I will learn from past medical malpractices like Henrietta's case.

"I’ve tried to imagine how she’d feel knowing that her cells went up in the first space missions to see what would happen to human cells in zero gravity, or that they helped with some of the most important advances in medicine... I’m pretty sure that she—like most of us—would be shocked to hear that there are trillions more of her cells growing in laboratories now than there ever were in her body." - (Deborah Lacks)

kayleeay — 2023-12-04 16:41:50 UTC

This quote shows the gravity of Henrietta's cells' impact on medicine as we know it today. We have her and her cells to thank for many cures of diseases and ailments, such as the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping, and in-vitro fertilization.