Saturday, September 28, 2013
Henrietta Lacks Chapter 4-9
Please read the required chapters and post a response in the comments
section. Most students received a strong grade on the last Henrietta
Lacks post, so keep up the good work. Feel free to post on whatever
strikes you as interesting, relevant, or even unclear. Have a nice
weekend.
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Wow these chapters were very interesting! George Gey was a determined scientist, it explains how he had a great imagination. If an idea came to his mind he would plan it immediately. The most interesting part is what Rebecca Skloot goes through. She is very determined on trying to contact Henrietta's family. She goes through a lot by calling and calling and usually ends up disappointed. None of the family members want to talk. She does not stop and is determined on getting information, she goes to Turner Station and that is where she finally gets some hope in writing the book.
ReplyDeleteGabriela Cuevas
ReplyDeleteI loved how descriptive each chapter was, as in how they described step by step how Henrietta's cells were divided and tested. Even though George Gey had found that the HeLa cells were immortal, it saddened me reading about how badly Henrietta was in pain. At times I felt that the doctors were not doing enough for her to recover, but just using her live body for research until she died.Also it was interesting how Henrietta's family had been really distressed after finding out about the HeLa cells immortality,specifically Deborah. The family seemed to not like to talk about Henrietta;s condition, because it brought pain back into their lives. That was probably why Rebbecca had such a hard time trying to reach them.Even though Rebecca has been turned down many times, she's still determined to know everything there is to know about Henrietta.
It really breaks my heart knowing that Henrietta had to go through all this suffering while researchers and doctors were just taking her cells behind her back. They could have saved her if they were really and truly concerned about her health. But I feel as though George gey was doing this out of greed! He was only concerned about making his experiment come true and was so determinded to make it happen. He handed Henrietta's cells out like if they were candy and made her look like a Guinea pig. And just to know the fact that her family was suffering from all of this not only emotionally but finanically and no one cared. It was very upsetting.
ReplyDeleteKaren Villasenor
ReplyDeleteHenrietta Lacks was obviously a strong woman who suffered a lot but she didn't show her pain. It is very frustrating that the doctors wouldn't specifically tell her what was going on with her body and health, however, I can see why they didn't because of the time this was happening female African Americans were not as educated as white males. In the last paragraph of chapter 8 the author reveals that Henrietta Lacks was told the truth about her cells and how they will save a lot of lives and even though she was in the merge of death and severe pain she smiled and was glad her pain was going to be good for someone else; this shows a lot of her character and persona.
Lorenzo Tafolla
ReplyDeleteThese chapters were interesting and they gave allot of explanation about Henrietta's family. Henrietta's family was upset and frustrated when people asked her about her cells.It also showed some segregation on Henrietta. It explained how no matter what white doctors said it was correct and African Americans could not question them. I view this as wrong because people have to question them and ask questions about there health doctors are not all ways right.The part i found interesting was when Rebecca called Henrietta's home they knew she was white. Because the only time people called was her for Henrietta's cells. It shows how the family thought they only wanted to know about her cells not really about her. I believe White doctors took advantage because they were not educated and did not care about Henrietta's health more about her cells. Henrietta was very strong and did not seem to show the disease she had until it got worse ,much respect to her strong women.
The ethical questions that are being brought up in these chapters are interesting, is it right to have a piece of you taken without permission and for somebody to profit from it? At the beginning of this book I was convinced that Henrietta would have willingly donated her cells to be tested if she was asked, due to her kind hearted personality. But as i keep reading i'm torn with the thought that maybe she wouldn't have donated if she knew she wouldn't be able to have children anymore. I think that this situation wouldn't have been so out of control if Henrietta wasn't black. Even though they say it wasn't a racial issue back then, it still was. Everything that was being described throughout the book so far has been segregated. I think even if Henrietta would have said no to the donation of her cells they would have taken them anyway.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter five the narrator talks about Henriettas's love for her children. Elsie, Henrietta's oldest daughter never learned to speak. She was like a bird that chirped and made noise but no one ever understood what she said. When Henrietta gave birth to a brand new baby boy she had to send her precious Elsie away to a mental hospital because she could not handle two babies. I can imagine how painful this for Henrietta to send her special child away with strangers. Special needs children need all the love from their parents. If I would have a child with special needs I would dedicate my life to them. Henrietta loved children and wanted to have more but since she was being treated for cervix cancer she didn't realize the treatments would leave her unable to reproduce.
ReplyDeleteSelena Martinez
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Rebecca had to go through a lot to get through to the Lacks family. It is understandable that they are overwhelmed by all the different reporters trying to find out more information about Henrietta, but they should have at least heard what Rebecca has to say. On the other hand, I don't think the doctors were just using her for her cells, because they were giving her treatment. However, I do believe they didn't give their all to try saving her.
I can't imagine what Henrietta was going through at the time.All the pain she was suffering must have been horrible, and even though Henrietta was going through all of this she still managed to stay strong. It really surprised me how Deborah talked to Rebecca so quickly about her lifetime I would have thouhgt that she would have hesitated a little or just hung up on her. I thought it was frustrating how none of Henriettas family would talk to Rebecca although it was understandable.
ReplyDeleteVeronicka Espinosa
ReplyDeleteWow! For one, I feel like the doctors could have done more to ease HeLa's pain and save her. Number two, she is a very strong woman; not only physically, but mentally as well. I think I would have chosen death than go through what she did. I like how Rebecca used a lot of description, especially when it came to the cells. It helped me see into more of what was going on.
I think chapter 4 through 9 was more about going into details of the lives of the people who were working in the lab (especially George Gey) and also Henrietta Lacks herself. In these chapters I could understand the racial issues in 1950s better. It was very inappropriate that the people in the hospital ignored her when she was in pain.
ReplyDeleteOverall I think these chapters were a little boring for me since I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to know the details ,and these chapters were full of details of people's
lives.
I thought it was sad how the researchers did not explain the story of HeLa and how people did not know where the cells came from. What surprised me the most was when Rebecca drove through the neighborhood searching for more information about Henrietta and everyone greeted her as she drove by. This was something I would not expect, she is very brave going somewhere she has no idea what she will find.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 6 I found it so sad how deborah didn't know much about her own mother. How no one told her anything about her mother and they'd only use her to get information about the HeLa cells. I understand how frustrated and annoyed the family must be when everyone calls only to find information about HeLa's cells so it's surprising to me that they chose to talk to Rebecca. This book has gotten more and more interesting as I read along.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte Pouncy
ReplyDeleteIs it just me, or did it seem like they let Henrietta die, after they had gotten what they needed from her? Specifically in the ninth chapter, when she'd began experiencing all of those pains, it just didnt seem like they really did all they could. Also, i understand why the family acted the way they did. Imagine all the people that took advantage of them. As far as the author, i was a little surprise that deborah initially took her so easily. I also wouldnt have guessed this author, so many years after the cells and their surviving, would genuinely want to go through all of this to tell about HeLa's life.
I give Rebecca props for trying to reach out to the family as much as she did. I also don't blame the family though for not wanting to speak because of all the other situations they've been in. Anyway, I understand why chapter 7 was put in the book, but I found it boring to read. I was reading it, but it wasn't as interesting as the other chapters. My favorite chapter had to be chapter 8. What stood out the most is how strong Henrietta was. Even though she kept complaining to the doctors about how miserable and unbearable the pain was, she didn't break.. Well not to me at least. She kept fighting. What touched me the most too was when Sadie explained how even though Henrietta was dying it wasn't noticeable because her appearance didn't change, you could only tell she was dying through her eyes. When i read that I pictured Henrietta so strong, unbreakable, and beautiful. She was such a fighter and I think that if she would have beat her cancer, many would've looked up to her.
ReplyDeleteWhat i found kind of disturbing is that the doctors didn't really care much for Henrietta anymore after they got a hold of the cells. It showed how selfish these doctors were, as for Henrietta I give her a salute because she stayed calm around her family and strong all the way till her death.
ReplyDeleteThe reading of chapters 4-9 were actually quite surprising in my perspective. What I thought was quite shocking was that scientists and doctors would lie to and experiment with African-Americans(Blacks) just to try and kill them off and get further in their research. The thought of knowing what has happened in the past within the medical sickens me to the very bone. Everyone has thought so highly of the medical field in our current day, but because of this book I am now learning some of the dark past of our 'outstanding medical field' and what it has done to affect individuals and their families. This book so far has caused me to think more broadly and not think in a 'cage'.
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ReplyDeleteVictoria Herrera
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading those five chapters, I realized how scary it must of been for Lacks to go to a doctor-someone your suppose to trust with your body and health- and not knowing that she was just an experiment. Especially not knowing what's being injected and removed from your body. The fact that radium was even a thought to be a cure for Lacks cancer is unthinkable. How Gay is willing to go to extreme knowing that Lacks has a great chance in dying with this treatment is truly sad. It makes him look like a doctor who only cares for himself and could careless for his patients. As he continues on with this procedure, he makes Henrietta seem like if she's not even human, as she has no say in what she thinks or feels about this entire experiment. She might of not been the only woman who had their body taken advantage of but Henrietta Lacks was a strong, brave woman who never loss hope.
Briana Rivera+
ReplyDeleteI think it's sad how the scientist didn't once give Henrietta credit for her cells. Even though she made a difference in world with her immortal cells. Although, scientist would disagree with the concept of giving her credit, but the fact that it was her cells they should have no reason for taking all the credit. Without her they wouldn't have been able to have cures for the many diseases we have today.
To me the motivation for the research by Gey did not start off negative. When he took Henrietta's cells in the book it said he told her that her cells where going to help others and she smiled and said that "she was glad her pain would come to some good for someone." She was a kind person and everyone that meet her know that. So to me she did deserve some kind of recognition because her cells would help save the lives of many even in future generations to come. People need to know about the lady that would end up saving others through her pain.
ReplyDelete