Resourceful-Mom

Henrietta Lacks – A question answered

I’m not sure if you’re like me; however, I’ve taken some things to God in prayer and, although I’m at perfect peace after, I leave with the same question marks that I brought.   You know, the kind of things that life throws your way causing you send a simple Why? into the clouds.

I’ve already accepted the fact that something’s just are so I’m not tormented about not fully understanding the “why” behind every life event.   As a matter a fact, many times, I’ve forgotten that I still have what I’d consider “unanswered” questions until an answer is sent and… immediately, I know where it goes.

Recently, I overheard a brief story about Henrietta Lacks.  The results of her existence caused me to immediately thank God for the answer to a question I can now put away.

If you haven’t heard of Henrietta Lacks, that’s understandable.  There are some that feel that it was intended that Henrietta Lacks (a young black wife, mother, daughter and friend) never be known as much more than a few cells – HeLa cells – in a petri dish.  Much controversy surrounds both her cells being taken without her knowledge and the fact that, for the last 60 years, it seems everyone except her family has financially benefited from their existence.  I’d encourage you to read Rebecca Skloot’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” as she has done a wonderful job sharing the details of Henrietta’s life, as well as, life since her death.

The part of Henrietta’s story that I’m thankful for has nothing to do with my identifying with her as a young mother,  I wasn’t moved that her story comes at a time when the mere mention of healthcare can result in debate and it sparked nothing racially motivated within me.  My question was in relation to loss  and includes the loss anything you hold near and dear.  The loss of  a loved one, a relationship, a dream or a job.  It includes anything that has in some shape, form or fashion ended.  I simply wanted to know why.  Why would something that means so much to me or someone else have to be taken away?  Why did it have to end?

Henrietta passed while in her early 30′s.  She had 5 young kids and before she died she wanted nothing more than to know that they would be taken care of in the event her sickness overcame her.   Henrietta’s kids grew up without a mom.   A few of them without even a memory of their mother.  And, even though the medical industry has benefited greatly as a result of her, today, her kids cannot afford healthcare.  Most would say this is a very sad story and I’d have to agree.

But here’s the catch, or at least this is what has helped me.  Her life didn’t end when her physical body was forced to give up.  How many lives have been saved over the last 60 years as a result of her?  How many people witnessed her life as a loving mother and a dedicated wife?  What has since been learned about cervical cancer?  How many lives have been save as a result of cancer research? How has all of this, now brought to light, changed her family?  What will her grand kids, great grand kids and great great grand kids contribute to the world? I’d think that this would evoke some level of pride in one’s family.  Now, there’s a book and a foundation in her honor…immortal indeed.

I believe in Romans 8:28 with all my heart, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”.  For me, it means we can trust that after it all goes down, both what we’d perceive as good and what we’d perceive as bad, the end result will be for the good of those that love Him.  The word “those” includes me, you and others that love Him.  So we have to be careful not to think just because we don’t see the good that others would agree that there is no good.

When someone that we love dies or we suffer what we’d perceive to be a loss of some sort (job, house, car, 401K, etc),  we have to remember that this world is full of “those that love Him”. We rejoice because good is coming.  That thing had to leave us in order to take on another form. A form that reaches much further than that love we have for it.   I know, first hand, how hard it can be to believe that ANY good can come out of something bad.  But it does.  It does because there are witnesses to the event – tellers of the story – and you’ll never know just how many people will tell the story and whose life that story will change.

Tragedy in the eyes of man takes on immeasurable good when placed in the hands of God.