Henrietta Lacks

The Untold Story

By: Ron Lacks

Narrated by: Anthony Bell

Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

I really need people to understand the reason behind me writing this book about my grandmother Henrietta Lacks. For those who have never heard of her, she is the first human whose cell line was able to grow in culture; her cells were unlike any other cells. While others cells would die, Henrietta Lacks cells doubled every 20 to 24 hours. She has contributed to the medical field in ways that no other cell line has done. HeLa cells has helped with the polio vaccine, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, sensitivity to tape, dental, and even used in the cosmetic field.

To hear and read constantly that Henrietta Lacks was a poor Black farmer is hard to accept. Anyone who looks at her picture can tell that Henrietta and her husband, David Lacks, weren't poor Black farmers—they enjoyed the finer things in life. They moved from Clover to Baltimore, not out of poverty, but because they felt their children would get a better education here.

I decided it was time to let people have an inside look from the side of the family that people don't hear about much and that's Lawrence Lacks' family—Henrietta Lacks' oldest son. He's the only one who's still alive who knew his mother. My dad was 16 years old when his mom passed away. It still brings tears to his eyes when he thinks about all the pain and suffering that she went through before her passing.

Our family has always wanted people to know about Henrietta Lacks, because we have always been enthused by the millions of lives that "Henrietta Lacks' HeLa cells" have done to help save and cure people all over the world. But what we didn't want is for her history to be told incorrectly. I'm so thankful that I am able to tell her family side of the story from the people who were there while she was still living and things that I personally witnessed for myself as time went on. As I get older, I now realize if I didn't tell this story, no one else would. This is a story that needs to be shared because there is a huge part of her history that has been left out.

As stated in my book: "It's not often that we as African Americans get to share in the telling of our own stories; most of the time the people are long gone, and we can only go by what people decide to say happened and not the actual truth of what happened."

©2020 Ron Lacks (P)2022 Ron Lacks

I have mixed feelings...

First, I read the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. it was fascinating. This book made me feel a little bit sick to my stomach. Why? Several reasons. It is fantastic that he wants to establish the fact that they were a happy, middle class family, instead of a poor family. It's just hard to see such a hateful rebuttal of Rebecca Skloot's hard work of doing all the research. I agree wholeheartedly that the family ought to be compensated for the money made from HeLa Cells. That is ludicrous to me, that the family doesn't see any rewards for their Grandmother's stolen cells. Anyway, it's just hard to read such hateful words towards Rebecca Skloot, who wanted his Grandmother's name known for her incredible contribution to Science. I can see how the family is divided, but Rebecca's goal was to bring notoriety to Henrietta Lacks. Would that be annoying to get free health care coverage by filling out papers? You bet. It always is. Good luck to all the descendants, and maybe someday they will receive compensation for those amazing cell sales of Henrietta Lacks!!

Anger and family pride

Nice to hear a different perspective but I didn't enjoy the vengefulness. It is sad to hear a family get torn apart by fame.This family should have been compensated for allowing the book to be published and movie made

Don’t listen to this

The narration is monotone and boring. Ron Lacks “book” adds no further insight to Henrietta Lacks story. His constant berating of Rebecca Skloot is tiresome. To say that his grandfather Day didn’t mess around until after Henrietta died is a lie. Either Day gave her syphilis, gonorrhea and HPV, or she was out and about. You can’t have it both ways, Ron.