Editor Reviews:

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Amazon.com Review:
Lia Lee was born in 1981 to a family of recent Hmong immigrants, and soon developed symptoms of epilepsy. By 1988 she was living at home but was brain dead after a tragic cycle of misunderstanding, overmedication, and culture clash: "What the doctors viewed as clinical efficiency the Hmong viewed as frosty arrogance." The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions, written with the deepest of human feeling. Sherwin Nuland said of the account, "There are no villains in Fadiman's tale, just as there are no heroes. People are presented as she saw them, in their humility and their frailty--and their nobility."

Rating : - The Spirit Cathces You and You Fall Down
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the story of a Hmong child diagnosed with epilepsy and her family's journey through a conflict between Western medicine and Hmong traditional health beliefs. The family escaped as refugees from Laos to be resettled in Merced, California. The conflict began when Lia experienced a seizure at 3 months old and was taken to the emergency room. Her medical team, based on the Western medical model, believed that Lia had epilepsy and could be treated adequately with anticonvulsants. Her parents believed her illness was qaug dab peg, described as the spirit catches you and you fall down. They believe the cure involved animal sacrifices and Hmong shaman medicine men. Lia's story was a description of a tragic case of miscommunication and lack of understanding of the family's cultural philosophy. Her uncontrolled epilepsy ultimately led to brain death at age 7. The author, Fadiman, presented the content in a narrative, non-opinionated way. The information is reliable and credible. Fadiman appears to have written the book to encourage a change in the policy of most healthcare providers to seek understanding and incorporate culture beliefs into their care. The American Nurses Association's Code of Ethics states that "the nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual." The story of Lia brings this statement to life. Through Fadiman's writing she gives examples for healthcare providers to develop in their practice...compassion and respect for others and their values. Policies have move to provide translators for patients, however, Fadiman may believe there is more work to do. Developing compassion and respect for others can be taught. On a scale of 0-5 this book is a 5.
This is an outstanding book that gives a personal story as an example of why healthcare policy should change to do more than just provide a translator, but a deeper understanding of others' cultures with respect. This book should be required reading for nursing students and healthcare professionals. Anyone interested in healthcare and culture would enjoy this book.