I enjoyed this book, the story of how HeLa cells started was fascinating. The chapters were set in the years the discoveries were made and the idea that so many people have been helped by a few cancer cells is incredible. Some very disturbing stats, 90% of the adult population has a form of HPV(sexually transmitted disease), her cells were so strong because of the type of HPV she had. Scientists then injected many unknown substances into prisoners, poor people, and terminally ill patients. They did this without consent and without the people knowing what they were being injected with. Her cells were used in making the polio vaccine and many others. Her family was poor and black and no one really ever explained to them what they had done with their mothers cells. The daughter who gave the information to the author, wanted to know more about her mother and what her cells were doing. Henrietta's cells have been sold for millions over the years and yet her own family cannot afford to see a doctor.
Many laws and regs were started after they took her cells. Informed consent came from this and other experiments. The story of her family kept me reading. This is well written and interesting. The author brought to life the usually boring aspects of scientific information. Who really owns your cells?
The man who first grew her cells never profited on them. He used them purely for knowledge. I can tell you I'm glad informed consent is required now. Her family assumed the doctors were smarter then they were, so they let them do whatever they asked. How many of us don't question our doctor, we should? I think we should and I do. Read this book. 313 pages of story and the rest is acknowledgements and information.
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