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Born Loretta Pleasant, Henrietta was born in Roanoke, Virginia
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In the "colored ward" of John Hopkins, Henrietta was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, and hope for survival was minimal
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Due to complications with cancer, Henrietta passed away in agonizing pain
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Jonas Salk used the HeLa cell line to create a cure for the polio vaccine
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After being kept in the dark for almost 20 years, Henrietta's family discovered the truth after being asked to give samples in hopes that the samples would help identify cells contaminated with the HeLa cell line
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Written by Rebecca Skloot, this book detailed the life of Henrietta Lacks, and the controversy surrounding her name