ReachMD

In 1951, cancer killed an impoverished young African American mother named Henrietta Lacks. Cells biopsied from her tumor, without her or her family's knowledge, went on to be critical in establishing an important cell line, known as HeLa, that has been part of a medical revolution. HeLa cells have been used in the discovery of the polio vaccine, cancer treatments, and countless other discoveries. Writer Rebecca Skloot chronicled this saga of medical ethics, money, and family in a bestselling book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She talks with host Bruce Japsen about the novel foundation she established in the Lacks family's name — the Henrietta Lacks Foundation — in order to give back to Henrietta Lacks' family and others who have made contributions to medical research without their consent.