‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ Movie Coming Soon

In January of 1951, Henrietta Lacks was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital. During her treatments at the hospital, cervical samples were removed. She had no knowledge of this removal. Lacks later died at Johns Hopkins Hospital in October of 1951 at the young age of 31.

The hospital went on to use Lack’s samples for studies and research. Dr. George Otto Gey came across her cells and noticed an unusual quality. This discovery led to him creating a cell line called HeLa. The strain was the cause of major breakthroughs in medical research. Many researchers have cloned the HeLa line over the years.

After Lacks passing, her family had no idea her cells were being used for medical research until around 1973. Those who were using the cells without any prior consent from Lacks or her family pretty much ignored the family’s inquiries about the research. Since, there has been a documentary and book about Henrietta Lacks and her cells. More people are learning about her story and now we will get to see a movie about her life this year. Oprah Winfrey decided to produce The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks film. It is set to be released April 22nd on HBO.