Page 34~66

Summary:

The book “The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot tells us about Henrietta and her cells. From 34 to 66, Gey takes the sample of Henrietta's cervical cells to his lab and let Mary to care of it. Gey tried many kinds of ingredients to supply cells, but all of them died. So, Mary does not think that Henrietta's cell can live. She puts her cells into clean test tubes and writes “HeLa” on them to present Henrietta Lacks. Gey interested in cell culture when he was in college. After he graduated, he and Margaret built their first lab. In his lab, Henrietta's cells start growing. After Henrietta goes home, she does everything like usual. She doesn't like Turner Station so she often brings her children back to Clover. She enjoys her life; she will go to dance when her children go to sleep. Henrietta sent her daughter, Elsie, to Crownsville State Hospital because she could not take care of her based on her pregnancy. She goes to see her every week. Because of Henrietta's treatments, she needs to live in her cousins' house so she tells her cousins about her cancer. Henrietta says to her cousins that are uncomfortable on treatments. Rebecca calls Roland Pattiillo who can touch with Henrietta's family. He tries to ask her some questions to know her purpose. Then, he gives her phone number of Henrietta's daughter, Deborah. She connects her, but she gets nothing from her. Deborah lets her to look for her father or brothers. When Rebecca calls Day, he does not want to talk about Henrietta's cells. Henrietta does not know that her cells grow in lab. Gey goes to a show to say cells' researches. He shows a bottle of cells but he does not remind that they come from Henrietta. Gey also sends Henrietta's cells to other labs. Carrel’s chicken heart cells are a crucial step on cell culture. Henrietta starts to feel sick inside her. When she tells the doctor her condition, the doctor cannot help her. After her thirty-first birthday, she stays at hospital. She is sad and cries when she sees her family in Hospital. Gey visits her and tells her about her cells, she is happy that her cells can help others.

Impression:

Colored people are treated unfairly in that society. The doctors hire a lot of black men with syphilis for researching. They have a medicine that can cure them but they do not use it because they need more information about syphilis from them. They are very painful in that situation. When I read at this part, I cannot believe that a different and unequal treatment is between white and black.

Question:

Why does Gey tell Henrietta everything but he doesn't say Henrietta's name at show?

Page 1~33

Summary:

            The book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” is written by Rebecca Skloot, from page 1 to 33, it talks us about the beginning of Henrietta’s cervical cancer. The author knows Henrietta is from her biology teacher Defler. He talks about the immortal cells from Henrietta. The author interests in Henrietta’s story and does a research to write a book about Henrietta and her cells. When Henrietta bears Deborah, she feels something is wrong in her belly. After her fifth child, Joe, is born, she finds out a lump grow in her womb. She tells to her husband Day, they go to Hopkins together to check that out. The doctor Jones needs to do a biopsy for a diagnosis so he cut a sample from Henrietta’s tumor. Henrietta is raised in Clover with other cousins by her grandfather.  She has to do housework. She leaves school in sixth grade.  She has her first child when she is fourteen. Then, Day and she get married when they have two children. They work on the tobacco filed to support their family. The war starts in the United States. The wars affect the tobacco company, Henrietta's family leaves Clover. Jones reports that Henrietta has a cervical cancer. Two types of carcinomas are invasive carcinomas and noninvasive carcinomas. Henrietta’s cancer is malignant. TeLinde is a cervical cancer expert and the Geys does cell experiments. Hopkins asks Henrietta’s operation permit for curing her, but TeLinde and Gey take her cells for examination without Henrietta’s knowing.

Impression:

            Henrietta is a brave and independent woman. When she has a cervical cancer, she accepts this bad news and the doctor’s treatment. She still enjoys her life and does what she needs to do. In my imagination, most women cannot stay calm when they get a cancer. Cancers are a terrible thing for all people whether they are invasive or noninvasive. If I have a serious disease, I will cry and complain that the world is unfair. The sadness and complaint cannot solve the problem which has happened. We have to study Henrietta’s spirit and attitude; she faces her life honestly and peacefully.

Question:

            Does Henrietta feel different on physical and mental when she has a cervical cancer?