No; Gey did not have consent from Henrietta or anyone in Henrietta's family to use her tissues for research. Henrietta only signed a form that allowed doctors to perform necessary surgery, and even then she was manipulated into signing it by the nurses, considering that Henrietta lacked the ability to read and comprehend words. When Gey took her cells, it was more for his cell culture project than for helping Henrietta be rid of her cancer.
The HeLa cells proved to be revolutionary to the world of medicine, but in the instant that Gey ultimately stole Henrietta's cells, the Lacks's family would enter a life of suffering and injustice. Politically, his actions were beneficial to all of mankind. Ethically, it was unjust, especially after seeing how the Lacks dealt with the consequences without any royalties
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