If You're Healthy and Reading This, Thank Henrietta Lacks

Hmmm, I bet some racists won't like this news ("You mean some black woman's cells were in that vaccine you gave to my lily-white Aryan child?!"). Yes, and it's keeping your useless ass alive, but Lord only knows why.

Fascinating, however, how Henrietta Lacks' cells have never died. I read about this a few years ago in graduate school, but we didn't get into the actual person's name or her background. Personally, I think it's really cool--and appropriate, in a cosmic-justice sort of way--that a poor, African-American woman has had such a positive, life-affirming effect on millions of people around the world. Not that it should surprise us--just that it's all happened without anyone really knowing about it.

Of course, some will see government conspiracy or even further evidence of racism since Henrietta's cells were taken from a tumor without her knowledge. But she might have a bigger heart than all of us and simply think it's a great achievement.

Naturally, some of her relatives think that, because her cells have never died, Henrietta has some special connection to or purpose from the Almighty! I can hang with that. Thanks, Henrietta.

Here's more about "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"--which I totally have to buy.