Nothing To Worry About/The Long Road to Clover pg.297-END

Finally the last  2 chapters of this book.... Although it is bitter sweet I enjoyed reading this book and proud of myself that I finished it.

When I saw the date September 11, 2001 all that came to mind was the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The fact that Rebecca and Deborah was supposed to meet in Washington D.C had me thinking that Deborah was gonna get hurt or got involved since the press conference was evacuated.

Thank god no one got hurt from that attack. What was sad is Deborah suffered from a stroke but was very lucky that she was able to recover completely from it.

I felt very happy and proud that Deborah decided to enroll into school to be more educated about her health. Although she didn't finish school, it inspired the next generation of Lacks to go to school and they all seemed very successful at it. Some even wanted to research their Henrietta and she contributed to science and medication.

Why did they have to tear down Clover? There's officially no evidence of Henrietta's hometown because they chose to destroy it.

I thought it was sweet that Rebecca wanted to give Deborah a piece of the rubble as a token of remembrance. Once she wasn't answering I had a bad feeling tingling in my spine, like a bad ending was to come.

I was right about that bad ending. So sad that Deborah passed away so young from a heart attack. At least she was able to know what happened to Elsie and Henrietta and she could be at peace with God and herself.

Sonny said "she's in a better place now". I liked how Rebecca ended the book with Deborah saying she'd like it if she could come back as some HeLa cells like her mother say they both could do good in the world...

Soul Cleansing/Heavenly Bodies pg.290-296

During this soul cleansing section I felt like it was the "passing of the torch". Deborah had put the burdens of the Henrietta Lacks story and entrusted Rebecca to telling her story through this book.

Deborah and Rebecca decided to take a break for their reporting trip and decided to visit Gary Lacks who was Deborah' cousin. Gary was also a lay preacher.

While they were there Gary performed a faith healing on Deborah because Deborah looked like she was under a lot of stress, she was covered with hives and was very talkative, nervous, and seemed like she was having an anxiety attack.

The description of Gary performing the faith healing seemed like he was performing an exorcism, I felt pretty creeped out.

The main thing is that the faith healing worked and Deborah felt way better and felt light because she passed her burdens on to Rebecca.

What stood out to me in Heavenly Bodies was when Gary called HeLa Henrietta's spiritual body. "The immortality of Henrietta's cells makes perfect sense.

"Of course they were growing and surviving decades after her death, of course they floated through the air, and of course they'd led to cures for diseases and been launched into space. Angels are like that. The Bible tells us so."

I'm not sure if I believe the bible version of why Henrietta's cells were immortal because I'm leaning towards the science aspect. But I can see why people would think that way.

Skloot attended mass with Gary and Deborah and Gary invited to speak to the church with a huge introduction from Gary.

What got to me was when Deborah was in tears when Rebecca said "Most people think her name was Helen Lane, but she was Henrietta Lacks". That was probably one of the happiest moments in the book aside from Zakariyyah showing gratitude.
 

The Hopsital for the Negro Insane/The Medical Records pg.275-289

I felt like the Hospital for the negro insane chapter was one of the saddest chapters. Just the fact of getting to know that your younger sibling suffered at a crazy institution and how they did all these unnecessary experiments to your body just makes me sick to my stomach!

What I thought was crazy was the statistics they gave for Crownsville in this chapter. For example, "In 1955, the year Elsie died, the population of Crownsville was at record high of more than 2,700 patients, nearly eight hundred above maximum capacity". "Crownsville averaged one doctor for every 225 patients".

That mean Elsie Lacks had little to no treatment at all! She went to Crownsville for nothing! It's so sad that the family didn't know any of this. Deborah said that she would've got Elsie out herself if she knew these statistics.

I guess she needed closure for Henrietta's cells and what happened to Elsie to come to peace. She was so happy that they found a picture of Elsie even though it seemed really eerie. The doctor with white hands was choking her and she looked like she was struggling or in a lot of pain.

In the medical records chapter, my favorite part was when Deborah and Rebecca was in the hotel and Deborah "trusted" Rebecca with Henrietta's medical records for her to do research.

I put parentheses between trusted because it seemed like she didn't at all. She would visit Rebecca every 30 minutes to have small talk just to check up on the medical records.

What really made me laugh was when Deborah went crazy on Rebecca and slammed her to wall grasping her because she thought that she couldn't be trusted.

Rebecca yelled "get the fuck off me and chill the fuck out". What made me laugh was that Deborah smiled and said that she never seen Rebecca mad before, as if she was testing Rebecca this whole time.

All That's My Mother/The Hospital For The Negro Insane pg.260-274

Rebecca Zakariyya and Deborah scheduled a meeting with Christoph Lengauer at his lab. I chuckled when Rebecca noticed that Zakariyya gained weight because she seems to analyze each person so carefully to each detail.

I also laughed when Zakariyya went from laughing at Deborah's praying to how serious and nervous he got before stepping into Christoph's lab at John Hopkins Hospital.

Once Christoph opened the lab door I could only imagine how Deborah and Zakariyya felt when they sawbillions of Henrietta's cells kept in vials.

I was surprised of how well Deborah knew what HeLa cells did for mankind. It seemed like all the research she was doing on the internet came in handy. Deborah even knew about the HeLa contamination problem. "Her cells caused millions of dollars in damage". (Skloot 262)

I enjoyed reading the part when Deborah wasn't paying attention to Christoph, instead she stood in awe and amazement of her mother's cells splitting in half before her eyes.

"Deborah and Zakariyya stared at the screen like they'd gone into a trance, mouths open, cheeks sagging".(Skloot 265) Rebecca was probably right when she said that was the closest they'd come to seeing their mother since they were children.

What hit me the hardest emotionally about this chapter is the emotions that went through Zakariyya. Just by Zakariyya showing his ounce of gratitude which he never does was a miracle in itself. He said thank you to Christoph and Rebecca. Deborah said "Girl, you just witnessed a miracle." (Skloot 267)

The last thing that Deborah wanted help from Rebecca was finding out what happened to Elsie, her younger sister. She was taken away as a kid and was sent to Crownsville also known as the Hospital for the Negro Insane.

Zakariyya/HeLa, Goddess of Death pg.245-259

Deborah confirmed with Rebecca that it was okay to meet Zakariyya who is Deborah's younger brother. I'd be freaking out because he's an ex-convict, a convicted killer, and known for throwing temper tantrums.

Rebecca, you are one brave girl and I salute you for having the bravery to do all of this to write this book. Zakariyya's description of how he looked like matched up perfectly in my head.

I always wondered why did Zakariyya act this way? Why did he choose a crazy lifestyle? It couldn't just be because of the Vietnam war.

This chapter answered some of my questions. Zakariyya said if Ethel didn't abuse them when they were younger that he'd be a totally different person now. I completely agree because Ethel was a demon! Starved and abused Henrietta's kids..

Zakariyya also said if Henrietta had been around that he would've been a different person. I also agree because Ethel wouldn't have came into the picture and he would've had more guidance from his mother.

I thought it was sweet that Deborah gave the chromosome painting of Henrietta to Zakariyya. This was the first time we actually see him happy and crying of happiness in this whole book.

It seemed like one of the most emotional scenes in this book by far.

Skloot teaches Deborah how to use the internet for research. This really helped Deborah because she was relentlessly researching her mother all the time.

Sometimes the internet pulled up ridiculous things like HeLa cells starting human farming and body cloning which led Deborah asking Rebecca those same questions.

Until next time.....

A Village Of Henriettas/Zakariyya pg.230-244

 
Finally Deborah and Rebecca meet! It's about time! Deborah has been trying to avoid Skloot and other reporters for awhile now.

When Deborah and Rebecca went to meet with Christoph Lengauer I was surprised of the reaction that Deborah gave when she saw the painting of Henrietta's chromosomes. She actually said "They're beautiful!"

I expected her to be outraged or sad of the fact that her mother's chromosomes were being painted or being tested on. She did say "You know what's weird?" The world got more pictures of my mother cells that it do of her."(Skloot 235)

I didn't believe the story of Margaret saying she went to the lower levels of Hopkins hospital and saw human sized rabbits being tested on. But Deborah seemed to believe it, she seems to paranoid at times.

Deborah also seemed to keep believing that scientists were cloning Henrietta's body and bringing her back to life. She asked this question many times and Rebecca would just say that her cells were being cloned, not her actual body.

The reaction that Deborah had when Skloot asked about Henrietta's medical records surprised me because she went from being so nice and seemed to trust Rebecca until she asked that question.

Giving that description of her "leaping up and diving onto the folder like it was a fumbled football", gave me that sense of imagery to picture it perfectly.

It seems to me that she had trust issues, but then again I wouldn't blame Deborah for acting this way, maybe a lot of reporters tried to get their hands on Henrietta's medical records?

Next up we meet Zakariyya and get an explanation of his personality and maybe why he acts so crazy!

The Secret of Immortality/After London pg.215-229

I find it really interesting that in the chapter of The Secret of Immortality that Van Valen commented that "HeLa cells are evolving separately from humans, and having a separate evolution is really what a species is all about."(Skloot 216)

It makes me wonder how did the cells react this way? How did they survive this long? The book didn't seem to have a clear answer yet so I'm going to have to wait and see for myself.

In the After London chapter finally the Henrietta Lacks story gets some coverage! The story caught the attention of a BBC producer in London by the name of Adam Curtis.

Zakariyya also known as Joe Lacks also seemed so angry whenever he's introduced. He was listed in the program as Joseph Lacks and was suddenly enraged and threw out all the programs. I have a clear image of that in my head.

I like Deborah and I feel really bad for her. She struggled so much during her life and she really misses her mother. That little short story that she wrote to Henrietta was the sweetest thing.

What still gets to me is the letter from Hopkins hospital saying that they emphasize that they never used the HeLa cells in a commercial venture.

Just because they said that doesn't mean it's true. Does that give them the right to use cells without consent? Does that give them the right to not tell the Lacks family until 50 years after?

Cofield the fraud lawyer is the most ridiculous person in the book so far. He pretended to be a lawyer and tried to sue as many people as possible including the Lacks family for not cooperating with the "agreement".

I really just wanted to punch that guy in the face.

Who Told You You Could Sell My Spleen/Breach of Privacy pg.200-214

This section showcased a side-story of people battling for rights over the cells similar to how the Lacks family were.

I feel like John Moore had the right to challenge Dr. Golde over his cells, especially the way Golde was so demanding and kept pressuring Moore to sign contracts.

In this case Golde was not being straightforward with Moore so more became suspicious of Golde, I would be suspicious too.

Golde would non-stop call Moore once he left the hospital. Golde said things like "stop being a pain and sign the form". Which in my opinion sounded way too demanding, like something was in it for him that he needed permission of Moore's cells.

Once I read the part where Golde had devoted seven years to develop a cell line called Mo after Moore surgery, made me feel like it would be hard to trust doctors.

John Moore said that he "felt like a piece of meat". I totally agree, I would've felt the same way because it is dehumanizing.

There was a controversy as the news spread about  ownership of Moore's cells. Golde and Moore ended up going to court with a result of Moore losing.

Ironically the judge said that no one complained over the HeLa cells so it's only fit that you shouldn't complain either.

During the Breach of Privacy chapter it gives a follow up of how Deborah and Zakariyya are doing. Deborah saw Gold's book which talked about Henrietta Lacks and her medical records.

It's so sad that Henrietta's medical records were just passed around and Henrietta's kids don't even know much about her and her death.

                                               

It's Alive/Least They Can Do pg.185-199

I really hate how uneducated the Lacks family were even when they were asked for samples of blood from Hsu. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into. I don't blame them for being uneducated but it seems so sketchy to donate your blood without knowing what they're doing with it. They only assumed that they were getting treated for cancer because of the risk of dying like how Henrietta died.

I like how they believe in superstitions like it was Henrietta who caused all the tragedies like burning down Rogers house in Oakland, it destroyed all the documents of HeLa cells and Henrietta's family.

I like Sonny's point of view of how he didn't mind Henrietta's cells were being used for medicine and research, "Long as it's helpin somebody".

I really enjoy the way you wrote the dialogue of this book. It seems so raw as if I could imagine the person talking in my head and how pictures are provided so we know how the family looks like.

Towards this section this was when the Lacks family started taking interest of Hopkins hospital and George Gey. They saw the profit of Henrietta's cells rising and rising each year.

Its amazing that when this book was published that one vial of HeLa cells were $256 each. If only the Lacks family knew this, they would've been rich! "HeLa is one of the most popular cell lines in the world".

I cringe at the fact that the only way the Lacks family knew how to attempt of getting a cut from HeLa cells was making handouts and gave them to customers at Lawrence's store. I'm sorry but that's probably the worst way to advertise.

If only the Lacks family knew how to sue and they should've hired a lawyer. But then again, I don't blame them because they weren't asked for consent so George Gey took Henrietta's cells illegally and in an inhumane way.

The Fame She So Richly Deserves/It's Alive pg.170-184

These two chapters would occur during the 70's particularly following the death of George Gey. George Gey died on November 8, 1970 to pancreatic cancer. Since there was rare to no pancreatic cancer research, Gey wanted to be one of the first to offer his tumor cells to provide for it's research. He had hopes that his cells would be immortal like Henrietta's. This wasn't the case, Gey's tumor cells died shortly after.

After Gey's death, President Richard Nixon designated 1.5 Billion dollars into cancer research, stating that cancer would be cured within the next 5 years. This put so much pressure on the scientists and doctors rushing to find a cure.

There was also controversy to where the HeLa cells came from. Henrietta cells were so famous because she'd been dead for so long but it invade other cell cultures and kept multiplying. It was all over the tabloids at the time. There were rumors saying her name was Helen Larsen, Helen Lane,Helga Larsen, Heather Langtree, and actress Hedy Lamarr.

J Douglass would publish a letter to the journal Nature saying and I quote, "all those women should "withdraw as gracefully as they can," because he'd received a letter from Howard W. Jones that left "no doubt that HeLa cells were named after Henrietta Lacks."(Skloot 176)

This takes us to Part Three of the book "Immortality". Bobbette Lacks was in Baltimore for the week staying at her friend Gardenia's house. Bobbette was talking to Gardenia's brother-in-law, who ironically worked at the Baltimore City Hospital, for the National Cancer Institute.

This was the first introduction to the Lacks family that Henrietta's cells were still alive and were being used in labs for cancer research without the Lacks' family consent. Gardenia's brother-in-law said "I've been working with these cells in my lab for years, and I just read this article that said they came from a woman named Henrietta Lacks". (Skloot 180)

Soon after, the Lacks family were a target for scientists and doctors. They wanted to know whether or not any other relative of Henrietta had immortal cells or something of that significance. This led Dr.Hsu to getting them to draw blood for "cancer research".

                                   

Night Doctors pg.155-169

Finally we find out information about Henrietta's children during a more relevant date! Rebecca Skloot planned and made an agreement to meet up with the Lacks family.

Rebecca first met Sonny Lacks in the lobby of a Holiday Inn in Baltimore. On that New Years day, Sonny drove Rebecca to their house and explaining how Rebecca was so hard-headed and never gave up on talking to the family in an admiral way.

Next Rebecca would meet Lawrence, who also seemed like a nice person, offering Rebecca pork and eggs.  Lawrence was curious about what kind of discoveries they made with Henrietta's cells because no one had them anything.

 Rebecca told them that through HeLa, scientists developed corneas, polio vaccine, cancer treatment, and more. Lawrence was astounded and kept saying it was a miracle. Lawrence and Sonny don't remember Henrietta much from their childhood, only the strict parts."I blacked it out of my mind because of the sadness and hurting". (Skloot 161)

 At this point the two sons said that Rebecca passed the test and all of the sudden she was able to meet and speak with Day Lacks(Henrietta's Husband) and Bobbette Lacks(Lawrence's Wife).

Day didn't seem like he was an angry person but rather calm. Bobbette seemed annoyed of the publicity of the HeLa cells and kind of talked to Rebecca like she was just any other news reporter. Day and most of the family suffered from health problems. But the whole family agreed not to get treatment from the hospital or else they would steal their cells again. Which I totally agree that Johns Hopkins Hospital would.

Then the subject about night doctors was brought up from Bobbette saying that doctors would kidnap African Americans during the night to perform experiment with drugs and incisions without any anestegia. I thought that was disgusting and I can't believe that it was true. Then they talked about the Ku Klux Klan abducting African Americans and killings during the night.

Lastly Day would make a remark that I thought was important towards the whole book. "What really would upset Henrietta is the fact that Dr.Gey never told the family anything -we didn't know nothing about those cells and he didn't care. That just rubbed us the wrong way. I just kept asking everybody, 'Why didn't they say anything to the family?' They knew how to contact us! If Dr. Gey wasn't dead, I think I would have killed him myself." (Skloot 169)

Until next time.............

The Most Critical Time/The HeLa Bomb pg.140-154

Finally revisiting the Lacks family after a couple chapters of genes and experimentation. Majority of the Lacks children were fine except for Crazy Joe and Deborah.

Lawrence owned a store in the basement of the old townhouse, Sonny graduated from high school, joined the air force, then honourably discharged.

Joe did not live a great lifestyle. He got crazier over the years, always getting into trouble and fighting. He had stabbed a man and faced 15 years in prison. Crazy Joe would find Islam and changed his name to Zakariyya Bari Abdul Rahman.

I feel so bad for Deborah... She seemed to always face adversity... She got pregnant in her junior year of high school. Cheetah(Deborah's Husband) was an alcoholic and would beat up Deborah. She would later leave Cheetah and would find refuge at her Father's house. Deborah struggled being a single mother while working two jobs.

In September 1966 geneticist Stanley Gartler and George Gey found a "technical problem" in their field. They would soon discuss the future of cell culture. "The room buzzed with excitement as everyone talked about cell cloning and hybrids, mapping human genes, and using cultures to cure cancer".(Skloot 152)

Gartler found an amazing discovery of how 18 of the most commonly used cell cultures had one thing in common. They all contained the same genetic marker called "glucose-6phosphate dehydrogenase-A (G6PD-A)". (Skloot 152)

The scientists made the breakthrough that since the HeLa cells came from a black woman that he found the answer for the problem. All the cell cultures are "all HeLa cell contaminants".

In this case, HeLa cells contaminated other cell cultures and scientists would soon enough had been growing and regrowing HeLa cells this whole time. The assumption occurred that a cure for cancer might not even exist....

                             

Illegal,Immoral, and Deplorable/Strangest Hybrid pg.125-139

These two chapters were kind of a blow your mind sort of chapters. It introduced scientists like Chester Southam. Chester Southam made a huge impact on cancer development and treatment but I didn't like how he did it.

Southam would perform cancer research on cancer patients by injecting HeLa cells into their arms and examined them for weeks. Although, the cancer patients didn't give him any consent to perform these experiments.

Southam would also look for volunteers to perform cancer research on. The Ohio prison inmates decided to volunteer for cancer research and development. 65 inmates would be injected with HeLa cells into their arms and tumors would grow.

 The prisoners were asked why they volunteered and they answered "I believe the wrong that I have done, in the eyes of society, this might make a right on it." (Skloot 129)

This chapter introduced me to the Nuremberg Code, where Nazi doctors were sentenced to death on August 20, 1947 and hung because of the inhumane experiments they would do on Jews.

There was a huge controversy relating Southam's experiments to the Nuremburg trials especially because he would perform these experiments without the patients consent.

It really pisses me off that there was a trend in scientists and doctors that back then they could get away with performing experiments on a live human body and taking cells.

Southam claimed that he had no idea of the Nuremberg Code even though it occurred about a decade prior. Southam would eventually be found guilty but was only penalized by being suspended of his license for a year.

I don't agree and I believe his punishment should have been more severe. If I found out he was injecting cancer cells into me for a mere experiment I would turn him down in a heartbeat! I also don't like how scientists would joke about Henrietta's cells so casually.