In front of Johns Hopkins is a statue of Jesus, the toe of which patients and doctors alike rub for luck. For Rebecca Skloot, the statue represents the intersection of medicine and religion—two vital forces when understanding the history of Henrietta Lacks. Doctors, after all, see HeLa as purely scientific. Henrietta’s family members, meanwhile, believe that it was divine providence that led to her cells’ immortality. Throughout the book, the cosmopolitan Rebecca struggles to comprehend the Lackses’ deep and sincere religious faith, eventually coming to the understanding that they see HeLa as proof of the eternal life promised in the Bible. Of course, the statue is also an ironic symbol; although it is supposed to bring luck, the unlucky Henrietta died in Hopkins. Yet it was her terrible fate that led to the discovery of HeLa, and the various innovations to which it led.
Statue of Jesus Symbol Timeline in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
