Henrietta Lacks (Part 2)

While science profited from Henrietta’s cells, her family was left without compensation or good healthcare. Originally, I thought it was absolutely unfair that her family was not compensated and continued to live in poverty but after some thought, I realize that it isn't that simple. This change in mindset was primarily driven by the idea of reparations or compensation for the descendants of Africans who were enslaved during the Atlantic slave trade.1 In the case of reparations, the complexity arises in who exactly would be compensated, how would we define descendants and how much would be given? The same ideas can be seen in Henrietta’s story. Henrietta was not the only person whose cells were taken for research purposes. So wouldn’t that mean that those people/families should have been entitled to compensation as well? Who and what would have determined the specifics of the compensation? If one thing is evident, it is that Henrietta’s cells should have been recognized and accredited before they were even mass produced. Her family should not have had to suffer in poverty while people profited from HeLa cells. I also find it fascinating that in the midst of their affliction, researchers continued to contact Henrietta’s family in order to learn more about their genetic line. The inconsiderate and selfish ways in which the researchers and doctors acted speaks volumes to the fact that shared humanity is often neglected for the sake of science. These ideals are even more exasperated when the person in the hospital bed or on operating table is valued as unequal in societal standards.

__________________________________

"Reparations for Slavery." Wikipedia. April 05, 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparations_for_slavery.