LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Leila Fadel. A woman who's helped save millions of lives is being celebrated in her hometown. Roanoke, Va., is unveiling plans for a statue of Henrietta Lacks. She died of cancer in 1951, but cell samples taken from her, without her knowledge, are described as immortal. They have been used to study cancer treatments and to develop the polio and COVID-19 vaccines. Her statue will stand in a plaza bearing her name. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.