The Nature of Henrietta Lacks' Immortality Faiza Narsinghani 11th Grade

HeLa cells are the most important discovery in science and have led to many advances in medical sciences. This is due to the fact that these cells rapidly reproduce and have a mysterious trait to them – their immortality. For HeLa cells, it means that they never died which resulted in possible experimentations that could now take place. In classical and contemporary literature, this word represents the never-ending remembrance of the impact something has made throughout its lifetime. The definition of immortality directly represents the woman of the cells, Henrietta Lacks, and she will never be forgotten in the eyes of the world.

One way Henrietta Lacks is immortal is within the memories and hearts of her loved ones. She was a mother, a wife, a sister, and a friend to many, even people she had no relation to. One of her closest cousin recalls, “‘Hennie made life come alive—bein with her was like bein with fun, ... Hennie just love peoples. She was a person that could really make the good things come out of you’” (Skloot 43). As the character describes, Henrietta touched the lives of the ones around her and found her own way into their hearts. She made an impact before dying by being a strong and independent African American who...