Informed Consent
Informed consent is, as defined by Oxford Dictionaries:
"Permission granted in the knowledge of the possible consequences, typically that which is given by a patient to a doctor for a treatment with full knowledge of the possible risks and benefits."
Informed consent first appeared in courts in 1957. Martin Salgo woke up permanently paralyzed from the waist down after a procedure he was told had no risks. The judge wrote that, "full disclosure of facts necessary to an informed consent," was required to all patients. A simple definition would be what doctors are required to tell their patients.
In Henrietta's situation, informed consent was not given at all for the use of her cervix cells and no one in her family was aware that the cells were the basis of a multi-billion dollar corporation.
"Permission granted in the knowledge of the possible consequences, typically that which is given by a patient to a doctor for a treatment with full knowledge of the possible risks and benefits."
Informed consent first appeared in courts in 1957. Martin Salgo woke up permanently paralyzed from the waist down after a procedure he was told had no risks. The judge wrote that, "full disclosure of facts necessary to an informed consent," was required to all patients. A simple definition would be what doctors are required to tell their patients.
In Henrietta's situation, informed consent was not given at all for the use of her cervix cells and no one in her family was aware that the cells were the basis of a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Family's Role
Henrietta was the kind of person who did not want anyone to treat her differently when she got sick, so she told very few people. Only her cousin Sadie, Sadie's sister Margaret, and Henrietta's husband Day knew about her cancer. However, Henrietta was not telling her family about any of the specific details to her doctors' appointment. When she was getting the radiation treatments, she signed a consent form that she most likely did not understand. After her death, Dr. Gey requested an autopsy. Day denied until Gey convinced him that the autopsy would benefit health of future Lackses. Only then did Day permit a partial autopsy, meaning they could make "no incision into her chest and no removal of her limbs or head." Without Lacks family knowledge, Gey collected more tissue samples from the tumors on Henrietta's kidneys, bladder, ovaries, and uterus. The family did not find out about Henrietta's "contribution" to science until about 20 years later.
"Everybody always saying Henrietta Lacks donated those cells. She didn't donate nothing. They took them and didn't ask." -Bobbette Lacks
"They say Donated. No No No Robbed Self. My father have not signed any paper. ... I want them to show me proof. Where are they." -Deborah Lacks
Our group decided that if we died, we would want our family to be completely in charge of making medical decisions for us, with total informed consent. We also believe that the direct family should have full legal access to a deceased body or disabled person and should be allowed to make decisions of all actions pertaining to the body.
"Everybody always saying Henrietta Lacks donated those cells. She didn't donate nothing. They took them and didn't ask." -Bobbette Lacks
"They say Donated. No No No Robbed Self. My father have not signed any paper. ... I want them to show me proof. Where are they." -Deborah Lacks
Our group decided that if we died, we would want our family to be completely in charge of making medical decisions for us, with total informed consent. We also believe that the direct family should have full legal access to a deceased body or disabled person and should be allowed to make decisions of all actions pertaining to the body.
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