Hero of the Week 81

 Welcome back viewers

This week's hero is...

Henrietta Lacks 

Henrietta Lacks was born on August 1, 1920, in Roanoke, Virginia. She grew up as a tobacco farmer and got married to a man named, David Lacks when she was 21. After they were married, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland where they raised their five children. For the next decade they attempted to live a normal life in the city. However, Henrietta's life would ultimately take a turn for both achievement and tragedy.

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks fell ill and was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Hospital (one of the few hospitals willing to treat African-Americans). Doctors noticed a large growth (a malignant tumor) on her cervix and diagnosed her with cervical cancer. While attempting to treat her, Doctor George Gey removed part of the tumor and began to examine it. To his surprise, he discovered that it was made up of a new type of cells. Instead of dying off after their removal, Dr. Gey noticed that the cells were multiplying at an alarmingly fast rate all on their own.

Dr. Gey concluded that these cells were immortal. He named them, HeLa after the person they had come from, Henrietta Lacks. These were the very first immortal human cells that had been harvested and grown. They would prove to be invaluable to scientific research. Because they reproduced within 24 hours of each other, Dr. Gey was able to use them to test vaccines, study the effects of viruses, and the development of the human genome. HeLa cells would ultimately play a crucial role in developing the polio vaccine.

Sadly, Henrietta Lacks did not live to see the value of her immortal cells that would bear her name. Attempts to treat her cervical cancer were futile. She died on October 4, 1951. She was only 31 years old. Her contribution to scientific research was not revealed until the 1970s.

Although it was not her original intention, Henrietta Lacks had given the scientific community an invaluable asset. Because of this, so many new developments were made in the medical field that were used to save millions of people around the world. To this day, scientists have not yet unlocked all the secrets of HeLa cells. However, it is clear that they will continue to yield more discoveries and facts in the years to come. I believe that Henrietta Lacks is definitely someone to be held in high regard.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/henrietta-lacks-immortal-cells-6421299/