FAMILY SNAPSHOT
Parents
- Johnny Pleasant
- Eliza Pleasant
Henrietta Lacks
Children
- Lawrence Lacks
- Elsie Lacks
- David “Sonny” Lacks Jr.
- Deborah Lacks
- Zakariyya Bari Abdul Rahman (born Joe Lacks)
Spouse / Former Spouse
- David “Day” Lacks
1951–2013 · Baltimore, Maryland
Henrietta Lacks & the HeLa cells
Public health & patient rights
Cells taken during Henrietta Lacks’s cancer treatment in 1951 became a widely used research cell line without her knowledge or consent. Her family’s search for answers exposed the human story behind HeLa and prompted scrutiny of research consent, privacy and access to genetic information.
Content note
Source note: screen portrayals may condense events or use fictional characters. Books and films are identified separately; a companion book is not necessarily the film’s source.
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The Story
When1951–2013
WhereBaltimore, Maryland
In this collection4 resources
Start here.
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Where are they now?
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Nicknames & media names
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Family Tree
The family relationships behind the story, gathered in one place.
Selected relationships only—not a complete genealogy. A family connection does not imply involvement in a crime.
About These Family Trees
These original diagrams summarize relationships reported by the linked sources. Community genealogy sites can contain errors and are not proof of identity or parentage. Full trees or record images may require an account. We omit speculative relationships, private contact details and unrelated living descendants.
Sources reviewed September 15, 2026. Suggest a sourced correction.
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Babraham Institute
Reflecting on HeLa cells: 70 years on
A research institute’s blog reflects on Henrietta Lacks, HeLa cells, ethics and consent.
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Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
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Books
1 itemsRebecca Skloot
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Reported nonfiction that became the basis for the HBO film. The account follows Henrietta’s life and her family’s discovery of the HeLa story.
Search Amazon · paid linkExplore this book
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Movies & TV
Movies
1 itemsAbout these sources
Watch links, previews and title listings are identified below. Rentals or subscriptions may be required.
Film / television guide
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)
Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
TV & documentaries
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Fiction Work · 1 adaptations & inspirations
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
Film / television guide
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)
Dramatized portrayal of these events. Film information and availability are provided by the linked source; dialogue and chronology may differ from the historical record.
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & film details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
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Podcasts & Audio
Podcasts
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
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Social Media
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News & Reading
Free & Library Reading
0 sourcesExplore free articles, book previews and library options. The label on each item explains what you can access; a catalog entry does not mean the whole book is free.
No additional case-specific reading source was confirmed in this review. The reporting and original summaries elsewhere on this page remain available.
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-15. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine. Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Newspaper clippings
0 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
No newspaper image has been cleared for display for this case yet. Explore the archive below.
Keep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
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Internet Archive
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
No accessible court document has been verified for this case yet.
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Roads Traveled
Roads Traveled
Open case map →Baltimore, Maryland. The map provides regional context; individually verified historical places are listed below.
Where this story happened
Baltimore, Maryland
Highlighted states show regional context, not exact addresses. Ontario and regions outside the contiguous U.S. are listed by name.
Explore the interactive case atlas →Boundaries: Natural Earth · public domain
Location research & source notes
This case was added after the September 14 map-source review and has not yet been checked against those sources.
The map shows regional context for this case. No individually sourced historical place is included below.
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
Research-access policy
2013: NIH–Lacks family genome-data agreement
NIH and the Lacks family agreed on controlled access to specified HeLa whole-genome data, with family participation in review. This is a research-data agreement, not blanket ownership of all HeLa cells or a universal consent law.
Social Media
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