{"id":1957,"date":"2018-08-17T14:46:31","date_gmt":"2018-08-17T18:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/health-equity\/?page_id=1957"},"modified":"2018-09-27T13:56:13","modified_gmt":"2018-09-27T17:56:13","slug":"henrietta-lacks-legacy-week","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/health-equity\/henrietta-lacks-legacy-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Henrietta Lacks Legacy Week"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Henrietta Lacks is a hero whose legacy continues to live on in medicine, public health, and biomedical research. <\/em><\/p>\n

Henrietta Lacks is a native Virginian who received medical treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital for cervical cancer. As an African-American woman in the pre-civil rights era, cancer treatment and medical research were not done like they are today. Without her or her family\u2019s consent or knowledge, scientists took tissue samples from Henrietta\u2019s body. They soon discovered that Lacks\u2019 cells continued to multiply. In fact, they are still alive today! As the source of these immortal cells, her cells became known as \u201cHeLa\u201d cells (taking the first two letters of her first and last names).<\/p>\n

Before HeLa cells, scientists spent more time trying to keep cells alive, than actually conducting cellular research. But, the endless supply of Henrietta\u2019s rapidly replicating HeLa cells made more time for scientific discovery. That\u2019s why HeLa cells are a staple in biomedical research labs, even today. We have Henrietta lacks and her immortal cells to thank for many medical breakthroughs including the polio vaccine, aids and cancer treatments, and genome sequencing.<\/p>\n

On July 1, 2018, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed<\/a>\u00a0into law the creation of the Henrietta Lacks Commission. Governor Northam has proclaimed September 23-29, 2018 as Henrietta Lacks Legacy Week\u2014to coincide with the inaugural meeting of the Henrietta Lacks Commission. The commission plans to create a biomedical cancer research center in Halifax, Virginia to honor Henrietta\u2019s life and legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
HENRIETTA LACKS COMMISSION MEMBERS<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
As Written<\/strong><\/td>\nNamed<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
One Member of the VA House of Delegates as Appointed by Speaker<\/td>\nJames Edmunds<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
One Member of the VA Senate as Appointed by President of Senate<\/td>\nWilliam Stanley<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
One Member of the Lacks Family<\/td>\nJeri Lacks-Whye<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
One Memebr of the HLLG<\/td>\nDr. Adele Newson-Horst<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
One Member of the Halifax IDA Appointed by the Governor<\/td>\nMattie Cowan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mayor of Town of South Boston, or Appointee<\/td>\nEd Owens<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Chair of the Halifax Board of Supervisors, or Appointee<\/td>\nJason Studley<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Executive Director of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, or Appointee<\/td>\nDr. Nettie Simon-Owens<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Executive Director of the Halifax Industrial Development Authority, or Appointee<\/td>\nMatt Leonard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n