It's a story few people have heard.
A Roanoke woman who died more than 50 years ago continues to help in medical breakthroughs.
She's the focus of a new non-fiction book called "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks".
On Tuesday night, more than 500 people packed the theater at Hollins University to listen to the author, Rebecca Skloot.
Her book has been called one of the year's best.
Skloot writes how cells taken from Lacks' deadly tumor without her knowledge have been used in medical research. It helped create a polio vaccine and cancer treatments just to name a few.
Lacks' family didn't know about the cells and medical research until decades later. It's a part of history people are still learning about.
"I wasn't familiar with her at all," says reader Aretha Day, "But she will definitely be a part of my life you know her story, her legacy will definitely be a part of my life from here on out."
Skloot says it was time people knew Lacks' contribution to medicine.
"Everyone has benefited some way personally from these cells and yet nobody knew who she was and more importantly what happened to her family as a result of all this," says Skloot.
Despite her role in medical research, Lacks' own family doesn't have health care. The author has set up a fund to benefit them. It helps pay for health care and college tuition for Lacks' relatives.
