Henrietta Lacks Case Study

1) "Though no one had told Henrietta that TeLinde was collecting samples or asked if she wanted to be a donor – Wharton picked up a sharp knife and shaved two dime-sized pieces of tissue from Henrietta’s cervix" (pg. 33). Lacks's cells have been an immense help to the medical world, but even with that, it was not justifiable to remove her cells without her knowing. It was wrong for Dr. Lawrence Wharton, Jr. to remove the tissue from Lack because she was not given informed consent about the removal of her cells; therefore, preventing her from making an autonomous decision. According to Kant, it is vital to treat people as means rather than ends (powerpoint slide 2). It may be argued that it was justifiable to remove a sample of tissue from Lacks because they have played a key role in many medical breakthroughs;
It is unfortunate that Henrietta Lacks and others were not given the option to decide whether or not they wanted to donate their cells to science. Autonomy is a vital part of decision making that everyone is entitled to. I feel that those who have made a significant contribution should be compensated for the help they have given. It is important that those who are are a key player in medical advances are not only informed of how they have helped, but they also should be rewarded for the sacrifices they have made. If I were Henrietta Lacks I would have been flabbergasted to find out my cells were taken without my permission. Not only would I have been excited to discover that I have been part of a variety of medical breakthroughs but I also would have been upset that I wasn't told earlier or that I did not know originally. Overall, Henrietta Lacks should have been told about the removal of her cells while also being informed about the importance of her cells. For her cells, Lacks should have been compensated because without her the medical world would not be as advanced as it is