Letter to Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Dear Rebecca Skloot,
I would like to congratulate you on your success in expanding the knowledge of Henrietta Lacks and her family, which was your intention from the start. When I read your biography in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I couldn’t help to think about all of the names that my biology and chemistry teachers have mentioned over the years. They say, “Oh, well he invented this and she discovered that”, but you really never stop to think about who these people are. Thank you for taking the time to learn and share who Henrietta was. Your story, and her story have really impacted the way that I see modern day science, legal systems, ethics, and morals in different types of people all over the world. It seems to me that The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has changed many people’s viewpoints on the subject and expanded the knowledge of each and every person who reads it. It is almost as if you have given Henrietta a second chance at life to explain her side of the story, which has been overlooked for so many years. You did something that no one had done before. You gave, and continue to give the Lacks family recognition that they deserve and have waited for.
As an AP World history class in Miami, Florida, my colleagues and I have read your novel in and out of class, creating class discussions and debates with each controversy that arises in various chapters throughout the book. It has been a wonderful experience looking into each viewpoint of these arguments for example racial issues during Henrietta’s lifetime [at Johns Hopkins hospital], bioethics of Henrietta’s physicians compared to that of today’s doctors and the laws that now surround their medical practice, and where to place the blame for the lack of knowledge of the Lacks Family on information regarding Henrietta. My classmates and I would like to thank you for opening our eyes to the Lacks family’s story and the life of Henrietta, who had suffered so much, unknowingly changing the world of science across the globe.
Each member of our class has taken on their own project-based learning activity whether it be writing an original story similar to that of Henrietta’s life, creating a journal based on the events of Deborah Lacks’ life, or even spreading awareness of your book and the meaning behind Henrietta’s life story. We have planned to spread this knowledge with our school and community by displaying these class projects on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. We have also been working diligently to spread awareness through the Internet through various websites and blogs that we have created to begin debates and opinions on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Thank you again for making a difference in our community and giving recognition where it deserves to be given.
Sincerely,
Katie Chaplin
I would like to congratulate you on your success in expanding the knowledge of Henrietta Lacks and her family, which was your intention from the start. When I read your biography in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I couldn’t help to think about all of the names that my biology and chemistry teachers have mentioned over the years. They say, “Oh, well he invented this and she discovered that”, but you really never stop to think about who these people are. Thank you for taking the time to learn and share who Henrietta was. Your story, and her story have really impacted the way that I see modern day science, legal systems, ethics, and morals in different types of people all over the world. It seems to me that The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has changed many people’s viewpoints on the subject and expanded the knowledge of each and every person who reads it. It is almost as if you have given Henrietta a second chance at life to explain her side of the story, which has been overlooked for so many years. You did something that no one had done before. You gave, and continue to give the Lacks family recognition that they deserve and have waited for.
As an AP World history class in Miami, Florida, my colleagues and I have read your novel in and out of class, creating class discussions and debates with each controversy that arises in various chapters throughout the book. It has been a wonderful experience looking into each viewpoint of these arguments for example racial issues during Henrietta’s lifetime [at Johns Hopkins hospital], bioethics of Henrietta’s physicians compared to that of today’s doctors and the laws that now surround their medical practice, and where to place the blame for the lack of knowledge of the Lacks Family on information regarding Henrietta. My classmates and I would like to thank you for opening our eyes to the Lacks family’s story and the life of Henrietta, who had suffered so much, unknowingly changing the world of science across the globe.
Each member of our class has taken on their own project-based learning activity whether it be writing an original story similar to that of Henrietta’s life, creating a journal based on the events of Deborah Lacks’ life, or even spreading awareness of your book and the meaning behind Henrietta’s life story. We have planned to spread this knowledge with our school and community by displaying these class projects on Tuesday, June 1, 2010. We have also been working diligently to spread awareness through the Internet through various websites and blogs that we have created to begin debates and opinions on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Thank you again for making a difference in our community and giving recognition where it deserves to be given.
Sincerely,
Katie Chaplin
