Research Question: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall by Anne Fadiman highlights the significant role of cultural competence and its position in the healthcare system. Since the release of the true story of the Lia Lee, a Hmong child diagnosed with severe epilepsy in 1997, what steps have been taken in our healthcare system to counter the role of cultural differences?
The Spirt Catches You and You Fall Down follows the true story of a healthcare battle between a hospital in California and a Hmong refugee family from Laos escaping the Vietnam war over the care of their little girl in 1982. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. The parents and the doctors both want what is best for Lia and the benefit of her health. The problem in this situation comes from the lack of cultural understanding between the two unfamiliar cultures. Throughout the book these troubles cause turmoil in much needed healing of this little girl. The goal of the story is to highlight the crucial factor of cultural understanding in our healthcare system.
Lia’s symptoms began at the early age of 3 months when Lia began to have frightening seizures which the Lee’s had no other option since migrating from Laos to California to take her to be treated by American doctors. These American doctors decided the best way to treat Lia was to give her powerful medications to a family who was uneducated on the severity of this little girl’s deadly illness. In the family’s eyes it was understood to them as Lia was a victim of her soul being loss and it could be treated by using spiritual remedies by the hand of a Shaman. Lia struggled severely over the course several years growing up in her young life. The family and as well as the doctors fought desperately to contain but the real problem was the lack of direction by the doctors to Lia’s family towards the care of their daughter. The Lee family had a lack of understanding of the western medicine and absolutely no understanding of the American language and the same for the doctors and staff as they did not understand the Hmong language as well how their culture functions. None of the individuals involved knew how to communicate with each other The doctors gave the Lee family tons of prescription medication to give to Lia in hope to calm her seizures but with the lack of understanding between both parties. The story portrayed that her family was unwilling to give Lia her medication as directed but was a …show more content…
She was discharged home to her family and required around the clock care. Lia’s condition had a life expectancy of 1 to 5 years and her family knew that at any time their little girl could be gone. Miraculously, Lia lived to be 30 years old in which she was treated by both western medicine as well as the Hmong culture herbal healing. This story signified the effect in how western medicine is portrayed and practiced across all cultures. Lia’s family reacted to her serious illness in the only way they knew how because of the culture they come from, while the American doctors responded to western medicine just as they are taught in a American
The Spirt Catches You and You Fall Down follows the true story of a healthcare battle between a hospital in California and a Hmong refugee family from Laos escaping the Vietnam war over the care of their little girl in 1982. The little girl’s name is Lia Lee and she suffers from severe epilepsy at the very young age of 3 months. The parents and the doctors both want what is best for Lia and the benefit of her health. The problem in this situation comes from the lack of cultural understanding between the two unfamiliar cultures. Throughout the book these troubles cause turmoil in much needed healing of this little girl. The goal of the story is to highlight the crucial factor of cultural understanding in our healthcare system.
Lia’s symptoms began at the early age of 3 months when Lia began to have frightening seizures which the Lee’s had no other option since migrating from Laos to California to take her to be treated by American doctors. These American doctors decided the best way to treat Lia was to give her powerful medications to a family who was uneducated on the severity of this little girl’s deadly illness. In the family’s eyes it was understood to them as Lia was a victim of her soul being loss and it could be treated by using spiritual remedies by the hand of a Shaman. Lia struggled severely over the course several years growing up in her young life. The family and as well as the doctors fought desperately to contain but the real problem was the lack of direction by the doctors to Lia’s family towards the care of their daughter. The Lee family had a lack of understanding of the western medicine and absolutely no understanding of the American language and the same for the doctors and staff as they did not understand the Hmong language as well how their culture functions. None of the individuals involved knew how to communicate with each other The doctors gave the Lee family tons of prescription medication to give to Lia in hope to calm her seizures but with the lack of understanding between both parties. The story portrayed that her family was unwilling to give Lia her medication as directed but was a …show more content…
She was discharged home to her family and required around the clock care. Lia’s condition had a life expectancy of 1 to 5 years and her family knew that at any time their little girl could be gone. Miraculously, Lia lived to be 30 years old in which she was treated by both western medicine as well as the Hmong culture herbal healing. This story signified the effect in how western medicine is portrayed and practiced across all cultures. Lia’s family reacted to her serious illness in the only way they knew how because of the culture they come from, while the American doctors responded to western medicine just as they are taught in a American