The Amazing Story of Henrietta Lacks
Inspired by the incredible story of Henrietta Lacks, student doctors Kate Tipping (Year 5) and Hazel Owusu-Yianoma (Year 2) have created a new learning resource now available to all their fellow Liverpool students on the MBChB programme.
Focusing on the social history of medical progress, The Amazing Story of Henrietta Lacks addresses the treatment of African American patients in the 1950s, the lack of protocol around cell retention, and the importance of advocacy for patient groups today. Kate says,
Ever since I heard about HeLa cells and the story of Henrietta Lacks in my Biology class around 5 years ago, I've been telling everyone I know!
And what a story it is. In 1951, a young woman named Henrietta Lacks was being treated for cervical cancer at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of only a handful of hospitals to treat poverty-stricken African Americans at that time. Following a biopsy, a sample of her cells began behaving differently to anything that had been seen before – rather than dying off, they began to double by the day.
These cells – named HeLa after the first two letters of Henrietta’s first and last name – are used to this day in research into cancer, AIDS, the effects of toxins and radiation, in gene mapping and vaccine development.
HeLa were also the first human cells to be cloned in 1955 and scientists have grown 50 million metric tons of her cells to this day. It also raises an important question of medical ethics, as permission was never sought to harvest the cells, as was customary at the time.
Hazel was equally as moved by Henrietta’s story, “I thought I was quite familiar with her story - and then I read the book and became even more passionate about her rights and our rights today."
Looking out for the best interests of those around us - whether you’re a doctor or not - is everyone’s responsibility.
Kate felt the timing was right this year to share the message further and teamed up with Dr Nikolina Vlatovic who put the word out to students who would like to get involved.
I thought it more important than ever that we make people, especially medical students, aware of the historical aspects as well as current events.
Hazel jumped at the chance, “I thought it was a brilliant idea. The death of George Floyd hit me really hard and brought so many thoughts, emotions and memories which I had suppressed or didn’t realise were inside me to the surface. And I knew that I had to take the opportunities given to speak out for a world which sees people as humans.”
Hazel reflects proudly, “It’s so important and I’m so grateful that more people will know Henrietta Lacks name and her story.”
This valuable new resource is now available for student doctors in the Professionalism, Ethics & Legal Context section of VITAL.