Episode 01: Henrietta Lacks
Henrietta Lacks lived a fairly simple life. She was not, as many have reported, a poor, black tobacco farmer. She was a mother of five, living in Baltimore when her life was tragically cut short.
She had been unremarkable in life, but in death, Henrietta Lacks has benefitted millions, if not billions.
Her cells became the first line of immortal human cells, contributing to thousands of medical advancements, which have both saved and created lives. The dilemma is that Henrietta never knew of her contribution, and nor did her family until many years later.
And while so many of us have benefitted from Henrietta Lacks’s sacrifice, her family have not.