I remember one night when I was walking alone on the street, there was a man behind me walking. He suddenly sped up and got closer to my back. I was so scared and I quickly turned my head over. I saw he stood up from the ground and picked up my wallet for me. “Your wallet fell off your bag” he said. “Oh! Thank you!”, I said. He walked away but I stood there still. I was so embarrassed because I misunderstood a man who was actually going to help me!
There are misunderstandings in the story of Henrietta Lacks. One example was the forever hate of Lacks against the whites scientists. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot described George Gey’s life that he was actually living humbly. He did not want fortune but fame. His only goal was to leave a name in the science world and make a significant remark in the human history. In the end of the story, Skloot spoke for the scientists that they only wanted to make contribution in science but not to hurt Henrietta or any of the other Lacks’ children. Through Skloot’s research and investigation, Deborah realized the deeper consequences and reasons behind the events. When Deborah understood, she talked about why she appreciated those scientists that they made her mother create amazing contribution to humans.
“THANK YOU!” by Adrian Kot is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
When I realized the truth, I also appreciated the man who helped me. Without him, I may spend my whole night looking for my wallet and get punished by my parents. Without Gey, there wouldn’t have vaccines and treatments that saved millions’ lives, there wouldn’t have the name Henrietta Lacks in history, and there wouldn’t even be this book.
Hi Heloise, thanks for your post, I really like the example of misunderstanding in your life since I personally had a similar incident like that, however, I was the person who helped to return the wallet, as a result, it is easy to relate to your feelings of fear and nervous when a strange person approaches you. In addition, it makes me wonder how the misunderstanding between two could lead to unnecessary conflicts or grudge which could affect the relationship between two. Therefore, I believe communication and a full understanding of the event are always crucial before making any assumption to others. In the case of the example you wrote in the second paragraph, Deborah blindly assuming Dr. Gey’s intention to take Henrietta’s cell, in fact, the real story behinds is different from her guessing. What do you think about my thought? Hope to see your reply!
Hi Heloise,
Thank you for your post. I find your connection to your personal experience every interesting. Sometimes, some people are misunderstood by their actions even though what they contribute to society is undeniable. Even though Dr. Gey was wrong in covering up Henrietta’s identity, we still can’t deny that he contributed to the medical society in a significant way. You personal connection explains that well too! However, do you think that Dr. Gey’s contributions can justify his wrongdoings?
Have a great day,
Claire