Julie Rafferty’s AP Biology class learns about Hela cells

Twenty students from Julie Rafferty’s AP Biology class filled four rows of bleachers at Millersville University’s Gymnasium last week and listened as a panel of Henrietta Lacks’ grandchildren spoke about the life and legacy of their grandmother Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman who underwent treatment for cervical cancer in 1951.

Doctors at Johns Hopkins took Lacks’ cells without her consent. Lacks’ cells have since been mass-produced and sold for a profit. HeLa cells (short for Henrietta Lacks) have been used in AIDS and cancer research and have also been used to create countless vaccines and medical procedures.“If [Henrietta Lacks] was here, she would know how much she has helped other people,” said Anisha Patel, a junior on the field trip.

“She’s ended a lot of people’s suffering.” Although her cells have helped the medical community in countless ways, her family has received no money from Johns Hopkins. Her family wasn’t even aware of the use of the HeLa cells until 1971. During the discussion session of the evening, a student from Millersville spoke to Kim Lacks, Henrietta’s granddaughter, about how research that used HeLa cells helped cure him of his life threatening disease. “This was life changing,” said Laura Fahs, a junior who also attended the field trip. Most of the students were stunned that a family who has helped so many people could be so neglected by the medical community. The Lacks’ family told the student that although life isn’t always fair, good can come out of terrible things.

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