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Deborah's mother died.
Since Henrietta died when Deborah was only a one year old, she never knew all the things her mother did for her in the time Henrietta had with her. Deborah wanted to know all the things she was too young to remember, such as what her mother smelled like, and what breakfast she normally was fed. -
Deborah was called in by Hopkins Hospital and asked to have blood drawn.
She didn't know that the blood was not to test her for cancer, as she had assumed and even feared, but it was so the doctors could take yet another sample from the Lackses without their knowledge. While there, she started asking questions about her mother and why she had become sick, and what she had done for science. The doctor explained some things HeLa cells had done for science, but left out why he needed her blood drawn. She had been deceived & was still left in the dark about her mother. -
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During this period, after Deborah had left her husband, Cheetah, and was investigating her mother's cells while raising her children alone.
Deborah obtained some basic science textbooks, a journal she used to copy notes in, and a good dictionary to try and educate herself in science and pick up some information about her mother's cells, since she hadn't been told anything about the details of her mother's sickness and what she had enabled scientist to discover and study. The more Deborah struggled to learn about her mother's cells, the more the research on HeLa terrified her. -
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Cofield's fraud and lawsuit against the Lackses added to Deborah's stress and was a main cause of her breakdown.
Soon after Deborah agreed to Speedy and Wyche's proposals, a man named Cofield contacted Deborah telling her he was a doctor and lawyer, and he wanted to help her form a copyright for Henrietta's name along other drastic law cases. Cofield was a crook, and when everyone realized it, Deborah was pushed to sign a document to prevent Cofield from accessing her family's files. Cofield was furious and filed a plethora of lawsuits against the Lackses and Hopkins Hospital. -
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Adam Curtis, a producer in London, began making a documentary about HeLa cells.
The documentary included coverage about Henrietta's family in more depth that anyone before. Deborah thought everything would change, and she would finally have peace with her mother and her cells. She began referring to her life in two separate phases, "Before London", and "After London". -
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Deborah becomes sick over the publicity created from Henrietta Lacks Day.
After Henrietta Lacks day, the Lackses obtained publicity. Deborah's phone rang constantly, and some people, "Speedy" and Wyche, wanted to create a museum dedicated to Henrietta. Soon after this, Deborah got involved with a con-artist named Cofield, who filed law suits against her and Hopkins.They fought the case, and she told Speedy to shut the foundation down. All of the events overwhelmed her. She became introverted, and even broke out in hives, almost having a stroke from her stress. -
Henrietta Lacks Day
Patillo, a man who wanted to honor Henrietta's contributions to science, organized the first annual HeLa cancer Control Symposium to be held on October 11, 1996. He obtained Deborah's phone number from a friend and when she heard of his plans for the conference and the official naming of Henrietta Lacks Day, she was happy a scientist was finally honoring her mother. She brought her family with her to celebrate Henrietta's day. -
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Skloot and Deborah's first conversation was in the year of 1999
Skloot told Deborah how interested she was in her mother, and that she was writing a book about her interest. Skloot also told Deborah how surprised she was to find how little people knew about Henrietta, though her cells were so imperitive for science. Deborah agreed with Skloot, and told Skloot many of the stories and facts she knew about her mother. When Skloot called her back, Deborah said she could no longer talk to Skloot about her mother, and they didn't talk for another year. -
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Skloot finally informs the Lacks what Henrietta did for science.
Skloot gets in touch with Sonny, and is able to meet with him without being stood up a second time. She goes to Lawrence's house, and obtains lots of information from him, and informs him about all the amazing discoveries that happened as a result of Henrietta's cells. Eventually Sonny comes back with his father and Skloot is able to ask him questions. The family, including Bobbette, share their feelings about Hopkins withholding information from them, saying they feel cheated. -
Deborah and Skloot finally meet after a year from when they had first conversed.
Skloot gave her the gift Christoph Lengauer sent her, including the picture he framed showing all of Henrietta's chromosomes. Skloot learned many facts from Deborah, many she had not heard of, s/a scientist in London experimented with cloning her mothers cells. Skloot was also able to understand Deborah, and why she was reluctant to talk to Skloot about her mother. Deborah never understood exactly how her mother's cells were still alive though her mother was not, and Skloot helped her learn. -
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Skloot and Deborah grow closer.
Deborah and Sckloot's friendship grew. They shared pictures and articles they stumbled upon about Deborah's mother. Skloot promised Deborah they would do a few things together, like view Henrietta's mother's cells, and investigate Elsie's medical history at Crownsville, the medical institution. Deborah even calls Skloot "Boo", from how much of a daughter Skloot is like to Deborah. -
Deborah, her brother Zakariyya (Joe), and Skloot all went to Christoph's lab to view Henrietta's cells
Deborah was able to learn from Christoph and get answers from him she was never able to have. He showed her Henrietta's cells and explained the basic facts about cells, such as where the DNA is in a cell. -
Skloot finds out Deborah died the day after Mother's day.
Deborah never found out Clover had been destroyed, and never had Skloot read the book to her like she had wanted. She had a wonderful mother's day though, and when Sonny told Skloot about her death, he said Deborah was in a better place now, and wouldn't have wanted her death to happen any other way.