ILofHL Pages 56-86 Summary The book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is the result of years of research by Skloot on an African American woman Cervical cancer sufferer named Henrietta is missing. Cells from Lacks' tumor are removed and experimented on without his knowledge. These cells, known as HeLa cells, are the first immortal human cells ever cultured. The topic of HeLa cells is at the center of many controversial debates. Although her cells are considered "one of the most important advances of the last hundred years" (4), little is known about the woman behind these cells. Skloot is on a mission to change this fact and share the story of the woman from whom the cells came and her family as they deal with the effects these cells have on them. At this point in the book, readers discover how far HeLa cells travel in the name of research. George Gey, the man who first cultivated Lacks cells in his town of Lacks, is about a mile long street where much of Henrietta's family lives. In Lacks Town, Skloot meets Lacks' first cousin, Hector "Cootie" Henry, and he invites him inside to talk about Henrietta. Henry says of Henrietta: “[…] even her memory is almost dead now. Everything about Henrietta is dead except these cells” (80). Henry goes on to talk about how he remembers Lacks. He remembers her as a loving and caring person who took care of him in the past. Henry is also baffled by the existence of his cells existing outside of his body for so long. He says: “…they said if we could put all the pieces of her together she would weigh over eight hundred pounds now, and Henrietta was never a big girl. She continues to grow” (81). He then wonders if the Lacks and HeLa cell situation has anything to do with voodoo or if this is all a result of her.