The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

In 1951, after Henrietta’s death, Gey is keen to take as many samples from her body as possible, but he requires permission for an autopsy. Henrietta’s husband, Day, agrees after some persuasion, though he is told it is merely for tests that may help his children in the future. During the autopsy, laboratory assistant Mary Kubicek looks at Henrietta’s painted toenails and, for the first time, realizes that the source of HeLa is a real person.

A few days later, Henrietta’s body travels from Baltimore to Clover for the funeral. Her sister and cousin prepare her body for the viewing, dressing her in a pink dress and styling her hair and makeup. Henrietta is buried in an unmarked grave alongside her late relatives, and her funeral coincides with a dramatic storm.

This chapter recounts events from 1951-1953. At the time of Henrietta’s death, the world is gripped by a massive polio epidemic. Plans are in progress to build a HeLa factory that will grow trillions of cells a week for the purpose of testing the new polio vaccine. It takes place at the Tuskegee Institute, a prestigious black university, and the