Henrietta Lacks' Autopsy and its Revelations

Key Insight

Following Henrietta Lacks' death in 1951, researchers from the Gey lab sought permission for an autopsy to obtain samples from various organs, aiming to expand their library of immortal cells, similar to Henrietta's unique HeLa cells. While no existing law or ethical code required consent for tissue removal from living patients at the time, permission was legally mandated for autopsies or tissue extraction from the deceased. Initially, Henrietta's husband, Day, declined the request. However, after doctors reiterated their interest in conducting tests that might benefit his children, and with his cousin's persuasion, Day eventually agreed to a partial autopsy.

The partial autopsy was conducted by Dr. Wilbur and Gey's assistant, Mary, in the hospital morgue. Day's consent restricted the procedure, prohibiting any chest incision or removal of limbs or the head to maintain Henrietta's appearance for her funeral. During the autopsy, samples were systematically collected from numerous organs, including the bladder, bowel, uterus, kidney, vagina, ovary, appendix, liver, heart, and lungs. Additionally, portions of Henrietta's tumor-covered cervix were preserved in formaldehyde. Her official cause of death was determined to be terminal uremia, a result of widespread tumors. These tumors, some the size of baseballs, had effectively replaced her kidneys, bladder, ovaries, and uterus, while smaller white tumors 'like pearls' covered her other organs, ultimately blocking her urethra and preventing kidney function.

Mary, who had never before seen a dead body, experienced a profound moment of realization during the autopsy. As Dr. Wilbur sewed Henrietta's abdomen closed, Mary's gaze fell upon Henrietta's feet, which were adorned with chipped bright red nail polish. This detail humanized Henrietta for Mary, prompting her to exclaim, 'Oh jeez, she's a real person.' She started imagining Henrietta painting her toenails, and it became clear to her for the first time that the cells they had been cultivating and distributing globally originated from a living woman. This insight challenged her previous abstract understanding of the cells, connecting them to a tangible, individual life.