As the world celebrates Henrietta Lacks’ 103rd birthday on Aug. 1, her family is celebrating a historic victory.
The family of Henrietta Lacks reached a settlement on July 31 in their lawsuit Monday against a biotech company for using Lacks’ immortal cells, also known as “HeLa cells,” CBS News reports. Filed in 2021, the suit sought compensation from Thermo Fisher Scientific for using the cells taken from Lacks without permission over 70 years ago.
They are still being used for medical research today.
While the settlement terms remain confidential, both parties are “pleased” with the resolution without involving the courts. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump said during a press conference that the settlement is the best birthday gift as Lacks’ only living son and some of her grandchildren released balloons in her memory. “I can think of no better present… than to give her family some measure of respect for Henrietta Lacks, some measure of dignity for Henrietta Lacks, and most of all some measure of justice for Henrietta Lacks,” Crump said.
Read the source article at Black Enterprise
