Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life Of
Henrietta Lacks 1920-1951
(1920) Henrietta is born in Roanoke, Virginia
(1942) Henrietta and the children move to Turner Station
(1951)George Gey receives Henrietta's cells
(1951) Henrietta dies on October 4th
Scientific Advancements 1912-1991
(1912) Carrel says he found an immortal chicken heart
(1951) Gey receives Henrietta's cells (HeLa) and cell culture begins
(1952) Live HeLa cells get shipped in the mail
(1952) HeLa cells are used to create the polio vaccine
(1952) Scientists discover how to freeze cells
(1953) HeLa cells are the first cells to be cloned
(1954) Southam begins injecting patients with HeLa cells
(1965) HeLa cells and mouse cells are fused together
(1966) Gartler proposes that HeLa have contaminated other cultures (HeLa Bomb)
Legal Issues 1947-1996
(1947) The Nuremberg Code is produced as a result of Nazi Experimentation
(1957) The term 'Informed Consent' appears on documents
(1965) Southam and a college are found guilty for unprofessional conduct
(1965) Stricter guidelines for human research and informed consent are called for
(1966) The National Institutes of Health requires approval for any research they fund
(1974) Informed consent is required for all human-subject research
(1984) Moore sues his doctor for the right to his tissue. He is unsuccessful
(1988) Moore appeals his case, and the court rules in his favor
(1991) Moore's doctor appeals, and the supreme court rule in his favor
(1996) It is illegal for health care providers to share patients info
Henrietta's Family 1973-2009
(1973) Henrietta's family learn that her cells are still alive
(1974) Hsu draws blood from Day and his children
(1975) Henrietta's family learns that her cells have been sold for profit
(2000) Rebecca meets Sonny, Lawrence, Day, Deborah, and Zakariyya
(2001) Deborah, Zakariyya, and Rebecca go to Hopkins to see HeLa cells
(2001) Rebecca and Deborah travel to Crownsville hospital
(2001) Deborah lets Rebecca see her mothers medical records
(2009) Deborah dies