On what would have been Henrietta Lacks’ 103rd birthday, her living relatives gathered in a sunny Baltimore waterfront park to celebrate a significant milestone: a settlement agreement with the Massachusetts-based biotechnology company, Thermo Fisher Scientific. The agreement comes after two years of litigation, where the family sought justice for the unauthorized use of Lacks’ regenerative cells that have generated billions in profits for the company.
Famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Lacks’ relatives, expressed the profound significance of the development, which some family members believed was serendipitously timed on this special day. He emphasized that the settlement is not just about financial compensation, but about honoring Henrietta Lacks’ legacy, restoring dignity to her memory, and seeking justice on her behalf.
With joy and gratitude, the Lacks family marked the occasion with Turkey Hill iced tea, balloons, cupcakes, and a cake adorned with candles that flickered gently in the waterfront breeze. While the terms of the settlement remain confidential, Crump and Chris Ayers, another member of the family’s legal team, declared that this is only the beginning of their pursuit for compensation and control over Lacks’ groundbreaking “HeLa cells.”
HeLa cells, taken without her consent during her cancer treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital over 70 years ago, were the first cells capable of replicating outside the human body. They have played a pivotal role in numerous medical advancements, including the development of polio and COVID-19 vaccines and the world’s most common fertility treatment.
Lacks’ descendants firmly believe that her cells belong to her and assert that companies like Thermo Fisher should compensate them for using these cells in research and product development. The lawsuit raised a fundamental question about ownership, and the family is determined to ensure that Henrietta Lacks’ legacy is respected and recognized.
The settlement with Thermo Fisher sets the precedent for future cases, as the family plans to file more complaints seeking compensation and control over Lacks’ invaluable cells. They assert that if companies continue to profit from her cells, they must provide compensation in return.
Despite numerous companies using HeLa cells, Thermo Fisher found itself in the spotlight due to the family’s legal pursuit. While the company offered no further comment on the settlement, the resolution represents a significant step towards recognizing the value of Henrietta Lacks’ contributions to science.
Lacks’ cancer treatment in 1951 proved ineffective, and she tragically succumbed to the disease shortly after her diagnosis. However, her cells proved to be a miraculous scientific discovery, capable of regenerating outside the body. Hopkins researchers distributed these cells to other scientists worldwide without the family’s knowledge or consent.
Sadly, Henrietta Lacks’ only living son, Lawrence Lacks, 86, could not be present at the news conference due to failing health. Nevertheless, his son, Ron Lacks, spoke on his behalf, expressing the family’s satisfaction and joy in seeking justice for their beloved relative.
Henrietta Lacks’ contributions to science remained unrecognized for many years. However, U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, along with U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin, aims to change that by introducing legislation to posthumously award Lacks a Congressional Gold Medal. Such recognition would honor her invaluable role in advancing medical research.
Ben Crump hopes that the settlement and potential congressional recognition will cement Henrietta Lacks’ place in history alongside other influential figures. He emphasizes that Lacks’ story is not just Black history; it is American history, and it is time for the world to know her name and appreciate her significant contributions to science.
