🔬 SCIENCE
Henrietta Lacks · Life in Weeks
An African American woman whose cancer cells, taken without her consent at Johns Hopkins Hospital, became the first immortal human cell line. Known as HeLa cells, they have been used in countless medical breakthroughs.
Henrietta Lacks: 1,626 weeks
Each box represents one week. Lived weeks Key milestones
Key Milestones
Gave birth to her first child while working on her grandfather's tobacco farm
Married her cousin David Lacks and moved north to Maryland
Diagnosed with aggressive cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital
Had tissue samples taken without her knowledge that became the HeLa cell line
Died of cancer and was buried in an unmarked grave in Virginia
Legacy
Her HeLa cells made possible the development of the polio vaccine, advances in cancer treatment, IVF, and the mapping of the human genome. Her story became a landmark case study in medical ethics and consent.
What Will Your Weeks Look Like?
Henrietta Lacks had 1,626 weeks. The average person has 4,680. How are you spending yours?
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