This quilt honors the life of Henrietta Lacks, , an African American woman whose cells were taken without her knowledge in 1951 during a medical procedure at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. These cells, known as HeLa cells, became the first immortal human cell line. They were able to divide indefinitely in culture, which was a breakthrough in medical research. HeLa cells have been used in numerous scientific research studies around the world and have led to many medical advancements, including the development of the polio vaccine, cancer research, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, Hemophilia, Infertility, COVID-19, Tuberculosis, and Leukemia and advancements in genetics