Ethical dilemmas arise one being the Lacks family had no idea that a sample of her tumour had been taken and sent to George Gey. In chapter three, Henrietta goes for her diagnosis and treatment and signs an operation permit form. I agree Dr. TeLinde’s research was important but not justifiable because he did not properly let his patient be conscious that her cells would be used. One questions whether or not appropriate consent was given because there was not any proper consent. I believe at least letting Henrietta know what they were doing would be the ethical thing to do.
Nduka Onuchukwu Shiladitya, Sen College Writing September 18, 2012 Rough Draft The Individuals Right The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks shows how an individual’s personal rights can be effortlessly breached when it involves medical science and research. Being in their position, doctors could say many things to a patient that the patient could deem true, and what was really the truth, was kept confidential to those who only studied science. “Everybody knew black people were disappearing cause Hopkins was experimenting on them!” (Skloot 169) clarified the mindset of the people, specifically Bobbette in this quote, who did not know and were kept out of the loop. The conflict of the plot, and in society at the time, is whether it wrong for a doctor to take samples from a person’s body without them knowing? It could be seen as immoral, but what if Henrietta had been told her cells were going to be used for testing?
Although the Socratic seminar and the novel left many questions unanswered for me, it made me understand more why things are they way they are in the healthcare and scientific research industries. It made me look more closely at the specific details health care professional do in their line of work. In society, money is the key to getting things to happen. It is inferred by the book that informed consent and bioethics are not as important as the appropriation of funds for research. I can tell that this idea is a huge controversy among different individuals.
Nursing indicators such as education on unnecessary use of restraints and not repositioning the patient every two hours, are failures to deliver quality care. The staff increased the chances of Mr. J to develop pressure ulcers. Also the use of restraints increased the chances of Mr. J to develop a deep vein thrombosis or pneumonia from lack of mobility. All members of the healthcare team are responsible to provide the best care possible and be an advocate for the people they care for. (American Nurses Association, 2015).
Scientists have identified a normally small subset of immune cells that may play a major role in the development of Crohn’s disease generally and in disease associated steroid resistance specifically (SRI, 2014). I know this is not part of the assignment, but I chose Crohn’s disease, because my Aunt suffers from it. I never fully understood the symptoms and the pain that she endures from this disease, until I did all this research. It is awful. I really hope with the way technology is, they find a cure.
Reaction Interaction Response Judging by the annoyed tone Diane Kenyon uses in her essay “Reaction-Interaction”, It’s clear to see the immensity of hope she has to find a solution for her deafness, despite being a successful freelance lecturer, tutor, and writer. However the first line in the essay concludes that there is a solution to not only her deafness but everyone else’s disability, "Most hearing people perceive deafness as a medical problem to be cured, but the pill has their name on it!" All the science and technology in the world can’t cure deafness, the only cure is by the help and cooperation of the people around. What stood out to me in the essay was the italicized sentences which represented the way people would react to her deafness. This disability may alienate the person from the rest of the group but it doesn’t mean that they are stupid.
Throughout the book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, it was evident that Deborah Lacks was curious to find out what happened to her mother, Henrietta, and her sister, Elsie. For her mother, she wanted to find out how she died and what happened to the HeLa cells. For her sister, Deborah wanted to know how she died and what kind of life she had at Crownsville. These questions concerning Elsie and Henrietta took such a toll on Deborah that she became physically ill and suffered extreme stress. In order to find out what happened to her sister Elsie, Deborah and Rebecca went to visit Crownsville where Elsie was staying before she died.
Sometime soon after 1944, she held a brief job at Maxwell Air Force Base, which as federal property did not permit racial segregation. She rode on its integrated trolley. Speaking to her biographer, Parks noted, "You might just say Maxwell opened my eyes up." Parks worked as a housekeeper and seamstress for Clifford and Virginia Durr, a white couple. Politically liberal, the Durrs became her friends.
The true story of a woman, who unknowingly changed the world of science, is outlined with the misery of a family left behind in her death. As the story unfolds, it is apparent the disuse of one woman's value and a family shrouded in questions of what is to come of the secrets the world is science is withholding. Henrietta Lacks was a bustling African American, raised on her family’s tobacco farm in Clover Virginia. Her life seemed ordinary as she married, raised her children and took care of the lives that crossed her path. Henrietta truly took to heart the idea Elie portrays in realizing one's self worth and not to treat oneself or others as an abstraction.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks describes the scientific progress made through the research conducted on Henrietta Lacks’ cells. Since Henrietta’s cells flourished in a lab, scientists were able to test a variety of treatments and study how the cells reacted to various diseases. Additionally, Rebecca Skloot’s book addresses certain bioethical and social issues, including whether Henrietta’s family had a right to the profits made using her cells, whether the doctors had a right to use Henrietta’s cells without specifically asking permission to conduct research, and whether Henrietta’s social position made her vulnerable to deception by the doctors. Although central to the story, the issues of cells and scientific advances are not the only themes of Skloot's book. The book also holds consequential information on the views and struggles of those still affected by racism.