The Importance of Henrietta Cole Walker 2nd Hour

In the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks- by Rebecca Skloot, the story of Henriettas very important cells are told. In this real story, Henrietta has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Henrietta goes into the hospital to see a cervical cancer expert, Richard Wesley to gain some more information and research about Henriettas cancer. This research included taking small cell samples from Henriettas cervix. However, when the doctor took her cells, they did not ask her for her permission. Henrietta had no knowledge that her cells were being extracted. After Henrietta died, her cells became very important. The cells seemed to be immortal, and almost overnight, they seemed to multiply and a very quick pace. Soon, scientists all over the world were using Henriettas cells for cancer research. These cells made a huge profit being sold around the world to various scientists and research projects, and Henrietta nor her family knew nothing of this. I think that if Henrietta would have known about this when she was alive, she would not have approved the scientists to use her cells. They were violating her rights, and she had no say on what they did with her cells after they were taken. Also, after her death, her family never received any compensation or money from the use of Henriettas cells. Henriettas personal rights were violated, because those cells were technically her personal property. The scientists extracted the cells from her cervix without any further consent from her. This was a violation of her privacy. They should have asked her to sign some form that gave permission to the doctors beforehand. Those cells, cancerous or not, were her property, so she should have known what was happening to them at all times. Next, Henrietta had no say on what the scientists were able to do with her cells after they were extracted from her body. Once those cells left Henriettas cervix, she lost all control. Her or her family had no idea that her cells were being duplicated and shipped all around the country for research. The final reason that Henrietta should not approve of this is because Henrietta or her family received no compensation or money for the success created by her cells. When the cells were duplicated and determined immortal, they made a huge profit being sold all around the world so that other scientists could use her cells for more advances in research. Those cells belonged to Henrietta, copies or not. Thus, she should have received a percentage or majority of the profit created from selling the cells. Henrietta and her family had a right to that money, and should have gotten some sort of recognition. Overall, the process of the research with Henriettas cells was completely unfair. While the cells were very helpful in the future, the way that these cells were taken was wrong. Henrietta was very important to everyone in the future. Today, copies of Henriettas cells are used for physical therapy, and lots of research. How many copies of Henriettas cells do you think are around today?