On the day that Henrietta Lacks died, researcher Dr. George Gey excitedly appeared on national television. He held a vial of her cells in his hand for the entire world to see and stated, "It is possible that, from a fundamental study such as this, we will be able to learn a way by which cancer can be completely wiped out." Once separated from Henrietta, the HeLa cell line revolutionized medical science. The HeLa cells were the first line of human cells to survive outside of the human body, and because of that, a breakthrough discovery for medical science. His prediction about cancer proved premature, but Dr. Gey knew immediately the scientific importance of his discovery, and opened the floodgates to an exploration of medical science presenting questions about the importance of balancing rights and responsibilities. Individual rights of privacy and consent would clash as never before with the rapid advancement of medical research and the creation of the modern biomedical industry. This article discusses the rights of patients and responsibilities of medical researchers.