Roanoke, Virginia - A statue of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cancer cells were used in research without her consent, is set to replace a monument to Robert E. Lee in her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia.

The bronze statue of Lacks is set to be erected in a plaza named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee, soon to be Henrietta Lacks Plaza, tentatively in October 2023.

Lacks was just 31 years old when she died from cervical cancer in 1951, leaving behind five children. Without her consent, doctors removed some of her cancer cells, which replicated very quickly, for use in medical research.

The cells taken from that line, known as HeLa, have contributed to tens of thousands of medical studies and been used for breakthroughs in developing treatments for a number of serious diseases. Lacks' family has never been compensated for the use of their DNA.

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Now, a statue to Lacks will be placed on the former site of a statue of Lee, which was erected in 1960 – during the Civil Rights movement – and scheduled to be removed in 2020 due to damages.

Artist Bryce Cobbs, also a Roanoke native, unveiled a preliminary drawing of the new sculpture on Monday depicting Lacks in a skirt suit with her arms folded across her chest. The sculptor, Larry Bechtel, will use the sketch to model the statue.

"This means a lot to my family," Ron Lacks, Henrietta Lacks' grandson, told the New York Times. He said he is looking forward to seeing "the sculpture that will honor her forever in this beautiful city of Roanoke."

Cobbs said Lacks' family worked with Roanoke Hidden Histories, the organization that raised funds for the project, during the process and will help make sure the statue captures her likeness.