On Feb. 8, 1951, Henrietta Lacks, a tobacco farmer from Virginia died from cervical cancer, and a scientist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore used cells from her tumor to create the first immortal line of human cells to be used for future medical research, called the HeLa cells — without her consent.

It is among the important scientific discoveries of the last century. It has contributed to many medical breakthroughs, from research on the effects of zero gravity in outer space and the development of polio and COVID-19 vaccines, to the study of leukemia, the AIDS virus and cancer worldwide.

In 2013, the NIH and the Lacks family worked together to develop a solution that allows researchers access to this valuable resource while respecting the wishes of the family. The Henrietta Lacks Foundation “strives to provide financial assistance to needy individuals who have made important contributions to scientific research without their knowledge or consent.