African American Review She only has about $742 in income per month, and tries to work more but her health continues to suffer. She points out that the HeLa cells did a lot of good for science, but she just wishes she knew more about who her mother was. What does Cootie think about the reason that HeLa cells were used to develop a polio vaccine? How was Cootie related to Henrietta? 2. Rebecca explains what they've been through, and Gary tries to calm Deborah. There were no further records concerning Elsie in Annapolis, so Deborah and Skloot drove on to Clover. 3. Although most of Crownsvilles medical records from between 1910 and the late fifties had been destroyedthe documents had become contaminated with asbestosLurz had saved some clothbound books full of autopsy reports. By clicking Sign Up, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. What are some of the intended and unintended consequences of irresponsible journalism? 5. Explain the inherent irony of the fact that the Tuskegee HeLa production lab was operating at the same time that the infamous syphilis study was being conducted. 4. She was institutionalized due to epilepsy and died at age 15.Eliza Lacks PleasantHenriettas mother. How old were Henriettas oldest (Lawrence) and youngest (Joe) children when their mother died? Photo courtesy: GettyImages. In what specific ways do you think that learning of HeLa soon after Henriettas death might have changed her family members lives? 5. What did Henriettas friends and family do when they found out that she needed blood? Henriettas cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family cant afford health insurance. One UW professor has studied the connection between patient abuse and a seemingly unrelated topic: haunted hospitals. The report itself revealed that Elsie was diagnosed with idiocy likely because she and/or her mother was syphilitic, and that, for six months prior to her death, shed forced herself to vomit by sticking her fingers down her throat. 6. Using her summary as an outline, examine the evolution of laws concerning tissue research and write a persuasive paper on the issue of whether or not people should be given legal ownership of, and/or control over, their tissues. Chapter Twenty-One: Night Doctors 1. The reason for Deborah's erratic behavior during her trip with Rebeccca becomes clear when her doctor diagnoses her with extremely high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Despite Deborahs clear shock, she insisted she still wanted 7. Lacks (Note: A fruitful debate could be organized with half the class proposing that the book be read as Skloots hero journey, and half proposing that the book should be interpreted as Deborahs journey.) What is important to him? Her little great-grandchild will also understand, and so will all of her siblings. What is mitosis? What was different about Henriettas second child, Elsie? What subjective conclusions can you make about Mama Speed based on the objective details on page 72? Explain how Davons heroic actions saved Deborahs life. 4. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Consider Deborahs comment on page 276: Like Im always telling my brothers, if you gonna go into history, you cant do it with a hate attitude. Finally, Sonny tells Rebecca that Deborah died quietly in her sleep of a heart attack. Deborah says that she's amazed that all those cells are her mother. Prologue: The Woman in the Photograph 1. | In the case of HeLa, there is literal immortality, but Deborahs quote raises questions about spiritual immortality as well. Board Certification. 3. Required fields are marked *. After her diagnosis and treatment, how did Henrietta behave? Why do you think Deborah breaks out in hives after visiting Crownsville and giving Skloot access to the medical records? Why do you think Skloot chose this title? Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Though this is not entirely accurate from a scientific point of view, it provides a much more emotionally satisfying answer than most scientific explanations. Why do you think Skloot structured the book this way? Chapter Thirty-Five: Soul Cleansing 1. 2. Free trial is available to new customers only. 6. Skloot carefully describes the photograph of Elsie. 3. Who was Alexis Carrel? Deborah submitted a request to have copies made of Elsie Lacks medical records, and Lurz left Skloot and Deborah with some archival documents to look through while he made the copies. In May 2001, Deborah, Zakariyya, and Rebecca head to Lengauer's lab. He organizes a yearly HeLa conference at Morehouse in Henriettas honor.Stanley Gartler the geneticist who dropped the HeLa bomb when he proposed that many of the most commonlyused cell cultures had been contaminated by HeLaSusan Hsu the postdoctoral student in Victor McKusicks lab who was assigned to make contact with the Lacksesand request samples from them for genetic testing without informed consentVictor McKusick geneticist at Johns Hopkins who conducted research on samples taken from Henriettas childrenwithout informed consent to learn more about HeLa cellsWalter Nelson-Rees the geneticist who tracked and published the names of cell lines contaminated with HeLawithout first warning the researchers he exposed. The soul cleansing in Chapter 35 and Gary's description of the meaning of Henrietta's contribution in Chapter 36 show that their religious faith and their understanding of science is interconnected. 3. Elsie Lacks Rebecca is stunned, but the scene is so sincere and moving. What conclusion did they draw about George Gey and Johns Hopkins? Slavin founded Essential Biologicals, a company that sold his cells, and later cells from other people so individuals could profit form their own biological materials. What did Mary, Geys assistant, realize when she saw Henriettas painted toenails? Since every human being is made up of cells, Deborah and other members of the Lacks family treat Henrietta's cells as though she was a person. Paraphrase the information on page 50 describing the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. She says immortality doesn't sound all that great because you'd be lonely, but she also thinks that she'd be okay coming back as a HeLa cell line, so that she and her mother could do good in the world together. Sometimes it can end up there. Before her death, she received treatment in a segregated colored ward at Johns Hopkins, the only hospital in Baltimore that would treat black patients. What unique abilities did HeLa have that allowed it to contaminate cultures without researchers being aware that contamination had occurred? Henry County Schools Analyze the story as a hero journey with Skloot as the hero, and then change your perspective and analyze the story with Deborah as the hero. What important information did Henriettas doctor fail to give her before starting her cancer treatment? How does Deborah respond after Garys prayer? Zakariyya uses the term disrespect to describe Geys treatment of Henrietta and the family. Analyze the consent statement that Henrietta signed on page 31. Specific cases to consider include the lawsuit filed by the Havasupai tribe against Arizona State University, the lawsuit filed by Texas parents over the collection of blood samples from their newborn children, and the controversy over the University of California at Berkeleys request that incoming freshman submit DNA samples. Culture . 3. Skloot begins the book with the following quote from Elie Wiesel: We must not see any person as an abstraction. He developed the techniques used togrow HeLa cells from Henriettas cancer tissue in his lab.Howard JonesHenriettas gynecologist at Johns HopkinsLeonard Hayflick microbiologist who proved that normal cells die when theyve doubled about fifty times.This is known as the Hayflick limit.Margaret GeyGeorge Geys wife and research assistant. She supported Henrietta during her illness. The day after the visit to Lengauers lab, Skloot and Deborah began a weeklong trip that would take them to Crownsville, MD, Clover, and Roanoke, to the house where Henrietta was born. A 1958 article from the Washington Post revealed that Crownsville, MD in the 50s was more awful than Skloot and Deborah had imagined. 4. The They're like having in-class notes for every discussion!, This is absolutely THE best teacher resource I have ever purchased. What specific things did Deborah ask Skloot to promise she would do? Rebecca finishes the book and tries to call Deborah in order to read it to her, but Deborah doesn't answer the phone. Haunted Hospitals and Patient Abuse | Go Big Read In 1955, the facility was 800 patients over capacity. What does it tell you about Joes personality and background? 12. WebThe hospital conducted pneumoencephalography on epileptic children, and Elsie likely would have been included. When Rebecca Skloot and Deborah Lacks visit the center to find out what became of Elsie, they learn of terrible patient abuse and neglect at the institution, including scientific research without consent, which resulted in permanent brain damage and paralysis for many patients, possibly including Elsie. Craft and Structure Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 910 texts and topics. The photograph, in contrast to Elsies childhood photos, was horrific, and showed that Elsie clearly suffered neglect. 9. Describe Deborahs childhood. title Negro American Literature Forum and for the next fifteen years Why did scientists want to fuse human and animal cells? Do you believe Gey was disrespectful? 3. Describe how Deborah found out about her mothers painful death. How did her doctors react to Henriettas intuitive conviction that the cancer was spreading inside of her? Members of the Medical and Scientific Community. After her initial round of treatment, what did Henriettas doctors assume about the effectiveness of the radium therapy? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Chapter 28 | Shmoop Want 100 or more? 6. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Eliza Lacks The description His light brown face had grown tough with age, cracked but soft, like a pair of wellworn work boots, conveys a strong impression of Day Lacks. What scientific discoveries were made possible as a result of fused hybrid cells? Why did Deborah choose not to request a copy of her mothers medical records? Why do you think no one told her very much about them? 6. 7. Henrietta was diagnosed with cervical cancer shortly after his birth. As children, they worked the tobacco fields together.Crazy Joe GrinnanHenriettas cousin who competed unsuccessfully with Day for her affectionDavon MeadeDeborahs grandson who often lived with and took care of herEthelGalens wife, an abusive caregiver to Henriettas three youngest childrenFred GarretHenriettas cousin who convinced Day and Henrietta to move to Turner StationGalenHenriettas cousin. Slavin founded Essential Biologicals,a company that sold his cells, and later cells from other people so individuals could profit from theirown biological materials. When Skloot consulted Lurz about the study, he said that, given the years the study was conducted, it was likely Elsie Lacks Crownsville time included being experimented on. Allowing Skloot access gives some amount of liberation as well as the feeling that her mother's life had not Informed consent means that patients must be informed of a doctors or labs intentions relative to the use of their tissue, blood, or cells. 5. Describe the way that Deborah and Zakariyya interact with their mothers cells. 2. 8. Do you agree with the courts ruling? What did Pullum ask Skloot to preach about at JaBreas baptism? 5. He and his wife, Ethel, moved in with Day after Henriettas death to help take care of the children. How did Rogers discover Henriettas real name? What effect did her research have on her? Chapter Sixteen: Spending Eternity in the Same Place 1. 6. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Chapter 34: The document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Elsie Lacks: Henriettas Daughter, Committed to a Hospital. HFS clients enjoy state-of-the-art warehousing, real-time access to critical business data, accounts receivable management and collection, and unparalleled customer service. Moores doctor and the University of California appeal.1991 The Supreme Court of California rules against John Moore, saying that once tissues are removed from the body, with or without consent, a person no longer owns those tissues.1996 The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act makes it illegal for healthcare providers or health insurers to make personal medical information public.1999 The RAND Corporation publishes a report with a conservative estimate that more than 307 million tissue samples from more than 178 million people are stored in the United States alone. 5. Who is Paul Lurz? Contact Us - Memorial Healthcare 4. Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. How has fear or lack of understanding influenced public policy relating to science? What specific request did Gey make prior to going into surgery? Sign up for news about books, authors, and more from Penguin Random House, Visit other sites in the Penguin Random House Network. What details suggest that Carrels claims about the immortal cell line were not scientifically sound? 10. Davons mother. Do you find this story believable? There are many excellent multimedia resources related to this book available on the authors website at RebeccaSkloot.com. Describe the relationship between Deborah and her grandson Davon. What burden does he ask to be lifted from Deborah? What are the risks and benefits of allowing profit to guide research? 10. Explain your answer. Other Titles of Interest I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly The Speckled Monster: A Historical Tale of Battling the Smallpox Epidemic by Jennifer Lee Carrell Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans Tell About Life in the Segregated South Edited by William Chafe, Raymond Gavins, and Robert Korstad Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg The Immortalists: Charles Lindbergh, Dr. Alexis Carrel, and Their Daring Quest to Live Forever by David M. Friedman Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment by James H. Jones The Right to Privacy by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy In The Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity by Daniel Kevles The John McPhee Reader by John McPhee and William Howarth Polio: An American Story by David M. Oshinsky The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic by Darby Penny, Peter Stastny, Lisa Rinzler, and Robert Whitaker Genie: A Scientific Tragedy by Russ Rymer Coal River by Michael Shnayerson Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington The Plutonium Files: Americas Secret Medical Experiments in the Cold War by Eileen WelsomeOnline Resources Author Web site: http://rebeccaskloot.com/ Lacks family Web site: http://www.lacksfamily.com/ Radiolab segment on the story of Henrietta Lacks and her children, featuring audio footage of Deborah Lacks talking about her mothers cells, and actual recordings of key scenes from the book: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/episodes/2010/05/07/segments/150681 Fresh Airs Terry Gross interviews the author: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123232331 CBS Sunday Morning piece featuring interviews with the author, members of the Lacks family, and a representative from Johns Hopkins: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6304949n&tag=related;photovideo Tavis Smiley interviews the author: http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/archive/201005/20100514_skloot.html Are We Alone? public radio segment focusing on the science of HeLa cells: http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Cell_Cell_ Author appearance on The Colbert Report: http://www.colbertnation.com/ thecolbertreportvideos/267542/march162010/rebeccaskloot Slate article about the Law & Order episode based on the book: http://www.slate.com/id/2257189The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Common Core State Standards With appropriate scaffolding, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks will meet the standard for Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity for most high school grade levels. Chapter Seven: The Death and Life of Cell . 6. A lay preacher, he performed a faith healing on Deborah.LaTonyaDeborah and Cheetahs second child; Davons motherLittle AlfredDeborahs grandsonMargaret Sturdivant Henriettas cousin and confidante. 7. 2017 African American Review Contrast the rhetorical structure and narrative strategies used in the television episode with those in Skloots book. These questions encourage students to engage in a close reading of the text, prompting them to clarify or infer meaning and to pause to examine not only what is written, but how it is written. What is Lengauers attitude toward the HeLa contamination problem? What is the implication of the authors decision to use the term birth to describe the initial growth of HeLa cells? Deborah's case of hives worsens as she and Rebecca get closer to Clover. They were unable to find Elsie Lacks medical records there. She is used to having white people lie to her and mistreat her for their own gain, and she has lived with poverty and abuse for much of her life. She worried that something bad had happened to her sister in that hospital, and that maybe she was used in some kind of research like their mother. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks essays are academic essays for citation. 4. Howard Jones Henriettas gynecologist at Johns Hopkins. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; trace the texts explanation or depiction of a complex process, phenomenon, or concept; provide an accurate summary of the text. Chapter Twelve: The Storm 1. What effect did sensationalized journalism and fiction about HeLa and cell cloning have on Deborah? What do these interactions reveal about their attitudes toward religious faith? Moore appeals the decision.1985 Portions of Henriettas medical records are published without her familys knowledge or consent.1988 The California Court of Appeals rules in John Moores favor, saying that patients must have the power to control what becomes of their own tissues. 5. $24.99 3. Her investigation of the true story behind HeLa eventually led her to form significantand in some cases, life-changingrelationships with the surviving members of the Lacks family, especially Henriettas daughter, Deborah. Deborah says that this was probably Henrietta's revenge for using her cells without permission, and everyone laughs. Compare and contrast the medical research likely performed on Elsie with Geys research and Southams research. Rebecca at last loses her cool, however, and this, surprisingly, makes Deborah relent. 5. What do the contents of the apartment tell you about his life and personality? LibGuides: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: About the Book George Gey head of tissue-culture research at Johns Hopkins. The conference is suddenly canceled after September 11, with no plans to reschedule. 4. And from that same life, and those cells, Rebecca Skloot has fashioned in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks a fascinating and moving story of medicine and family, of how life is sustained in laboratories and in memory. Cite specific court cases and/or current events. 4. Why did Henrietta end up being raised by her grandfather, Tommy Lacks? Why were the hospitals medical records from the 1950s and earlier disposed of? 3. Lengauer takes the group to another part of the lab and shows them Henrietta's cells under a microscope. Days health had deteriorated too much to make the trip, Sonny had to work, and Lawrence still wanted to sue Hopkins. 6. Its a story inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff were made of. She is a former vice president of the National Book Critics Circle, and has taught creative nonfiction and science journalism at the University of Memphis, the University of Pittsburgh, and New York University. A lay preacher, he performed a faith healing on Deborah. It is being translated into more than twenty languages and adapted into an HBO film produced by Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball. 6. When Deborah finally decides to give Skloot access to Henrietta's medical records it is a significant moments. How do you think public interpretation might have been different if the story had been published at the time of Henriettas death in 1951? Why was he surprised that he had Elsies records in particular? Analyze the significance of chapter and section breaks in the book. Tommy Lacks Henrietta and Days grandfather who raised both of them. Lacks went to Johns Hopkins medical center for treatment for her cancer. Chapter Five: Blackness Be Spreadin All Inside 1. How have groups of people such as African Americans, women, children, and most recently, immigrants, fought for legislation protecting their right to privacy? After Deborah told him about Elsiethat people thought she was disabled but that Deborah suspected she was just deafLurz rose and went to a storage cabinet. WebElsie Lacks family sent her to Crownsville (formerly known as the Hospital for the Negro Insane) after it became impossible to keep her safe and healthy at home. 7. Google She is not always an easy person to be friends with - she is paranoid and somewhat impulsive, even once becoming physically violent with Rebecca. What is the purpose of the Nuremberg Code? What does Deborahs comment to Lurz that if you gonna go into history, you cant do it with a hate attitude tell you about the type of person she is? Each time they stopped, Deborah would approach strangers and, apropos of nothing, present them with the What did Gartler suggest about spontaneous transformation? What simile does she use to describe the way a cell looks? The Lacks Legacy: Reforming Racism in the Medical Field If Henrietta Lacks could know how important her cells have been to science, do you think she would approve of the fact that they were taken from her without her knowledge or consent? 10. What does Deborah say about people who frame her mothers story as a story about racism? What controversial beliefs did Carrell have? Describe the experiment that Southam developed to test his hypothesis about HeLa. Each time they stopped, Deborah would approach strangers and, apropos of nothing, present them with the picture of Elsie and introduce Skloot as her reporter. Deborah would also pull over occasionally to relate to Skloot her latest idea about her mothers legacy; on one occasion, Deborah was near tears: She said she couldnt keep her eyes on the road because she kept looking at the copy of the picture of Elsie.
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elsie lacks medical records