The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down:
A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
A Review and Recommendation
Nothing will tell you how far off the mark we can be in our understanding and acceptance of other cultures than Anne Fadiman’s tale of a Hmong child suffering from epilepsy. This poignant true story details the life and death of Lia Lee as her parents and caregivers struggle to bridge the gap between animism, a traditional belief in the existence of spirits, and the science-based, rational culture found in America’s health care system.
For Lia’s parents, the cause of her initial seizure at age three months was a loud noise that caused her soul to leave her body. Her soul was then captured by an evil spirit, or dab. Lia’s physicians, of course, saw things differently. The blood work and spinal taps that were performed to diagnose and treat Lia’s epilepsy were taboo to her parents, as was surgery. The doctors prescribed medication; the Lee’s sought the help of a shaman. Over time, the lack of a common language (translator’s were not required at that time) and a poor appreciation of Hmong beliefs resulted in an inadequate medication regimen. By the age of seven, Lia was brain dead although she survived a year or two longer receiving loving care from her parents, at home.
Published nearly two decades ago, the story of the Lees and their daughter still holds many lessons for us today, particularly as we struggle with the changing demographics in this country. A blend of scientific and religion-based beliefs may hold out the best hope for a complete and culturally-sensitive treatment plan that meets the needs of everyone, especially the Lia’s of this world.
If you have never read this book, you must…if only to gain an appreciation of how different and wonderfully diverse we can be.
A paperback version of this book is available from Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Later Printing edition (April 24, 2012).