What happened to Lia in 1986?
Who visited Lia to die?
Why were Foua and Nao Kao stupid?
Why did Lia die in Children's Valley Hospital?
What chapter does Lia go into status epilepticus?
What was the procedure for Lia in MCMC?
What was Lia's temperature?
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About this website
What happened to Lia in the spirit catches you?
Lia, the subject of Anne Fadiman's 1997 book “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down,” died Aug. 31 in Sacramento at the age of 30, after living decades longer than doctors said was possible.
How old was Lia Lee when she had her first seizure?
about 3 months oldLia had her first seizure when she was about 3 months old. At Merced Community Medical Center, a resident misdiagnosed her condition. Communication was impossible: the Lees spoke no English, and the hospital had no Hmong interpreter.
Why was Lia transferred to a different hospital in Chapter 11?
Thinking that the situation was under control, Neil called Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno (which was better equipped to handle such serious problems) and arranged for Lia to be transferred for the weekend, instructing them on the details of her case so that she would be adequately cared for in his absence.
How did the medical providers treat Lia's family?
The American doctors did not understand the Hmong traditional remedies that the Lee family used. The doctors treating Lia Lee, Neil and Peggy Ernst, had her removed from her home when she was almost three years of age, and placed into foster care for one year, causing friction with her parents.
Was Lia's life ruined by cross cultural misunderstandings?
Along with the language barrier, there was a great deal of “cross-cultural misunderstanding” (Fadiman 262) regarding the treatment of the child. Fadiman thinks that “[Lia's] life was ruined not by septic shock or noncompliant parents but by cross-cultural misunderstanding” (262).
What is true about how the Lee family viewed their daughter Lia's illness?
They were especially concerned that anything would compromise her health and happiness. Jeanine Hilt, a social worker who worked with the Lees, said that they considered Lia an anointed one and her illness more of a blessing than an affliction.
Who helped the Lees regain custody of Lia?
Because of the love she showed them, Foua accepted her help and learned to administer Lia's medication, which led to regaining custody.
Why did Nao Kao grab Lia and attempt to flee the hospital?
As Lia is being prepared for release, the doctors tell Nao Kao that she will probably die within weeks. Upset because he "perceived the doctors' comments [...] as threats," Nao Kao grabs Lia and attempts to flee the hospital (13.31).
When Lia returned home in Chapter 9 What did the Lees do in her honor?
From the period of spring and summer 1986, around the time of her fourth birthday, Peggy Philp noted in Lia's chart – nothing interesting – but for the Lees it was one of the richest periods in Lia's life. The first thing they did was sacrifice a cow in her honor.
Did Lia have more frequent seizures while living with the foster family or less?
Luckily, Lia ends up in the home of Dee Korda, a woman who fosters several children with special needs. Dee falls in love with Lia and cares for her like her own. Although Dee follows "the anticonvulsant prescriptions to the letter," Lia continues to have seizures—more frequently than she did at home, in fact (7.31).
Who filed a report about Lia to child Protective?
Interestingly, Neil had told no one else at MCMC that he had brought CPS into Lia's case. All of them disagreed with his decision, thinking it was the first time they had ever heard of child being taken away from good caretakers.
Who did Lia's family believe captured her spirit in chapter three?
So here's the deal. Lia has her first seizure when she's three months old. Her parents blame this on her older sister, Yer: Yer had slammed the door just before the seizure happened, which in their minds scared the soul out of Lia's body.
Did Lia Lee have epilepsy?
Ms. Lee — who in July celebrated her 30th birthday in that bed, surrounded by her mother, brother, seven sisters and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins — died Aug. 31 after a lifelong battle against epilepsy, cerebral palsy, pneumonia and sepsis, a toxic reaction to constant infection.
How many children did FOUA Lee have?
twelve childrenHaving given birth to twelve children in her native Laos, Foua and her family fled to a refugee camp in Thailand to escape the dangerous communist forces that had won control of her country in 1975. She gave birth there to her thirteenth child, Mai.
How do the Hmong view epilepsy?
But for traditional Hmong who have retained their animistic beliefs, epilepsy (qaug dab peg, literally translated as "the spirit catches you and you fall down," which became the title of my book) is caused by a malevolent spirit called a dab, who captures someone's soul and makes him or her sick.
How many siblings did Lia Lee have?
Lia has twelve brothers and sisters. Her parents Foua Yang and Nao Kao love her very much and are totally committed to her care. Hmong believe that a child is the most treasured possession a person can have. The refugee family traveled a great distance from Laos to Thailand, and now resides in Merced, California.
In Western medicine, what is "quag dab peg"?
wy did lees trust, Jeanine? why did Jeanine succeed where so many had failed.
Who filed a report about Lia to Child Protective Services?
n April 1985, after receiving word that the Lees were once again modifying Lia's medical treatment, Neil sent a note to Child Protective Services r...
Why was Lia transferred to a different hospital in Chapter 11?
MCMC didn't have a children's Intensive Care Unit, so they transferred her to Valley Children's Hospital in Fresno.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary - LitCharts
The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down is a work of literary nonfiction that chronicles the life and medical troubles of a young girl named Lia Lee.In the 1980s, Lia is a young member of Merced, California’s Hmong population, a group of immigrants and refugees who had previously lived in the highlands of Laos.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary | GradeSaver
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down tells the story of Lia Lee, a Hmong child with epilepsy, whose tragic demise reveals the dangers of a lack of cross-cultural communication in the medical profession.. When Lia was around three months old, her older sister Yer slammed a door and Lia had her first seizure.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Summary and ... - GradeSaver
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down study guide contains a biography of Anne Fadiman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down | Chapter Summaries
Anne Fadiman's The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Chapter Summary. Find summaries for every chapter, including a The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Chapter Summary Chart to help you understand the book.
(PDF) Lessons learned from The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down ...
Course Description: Every culture and society has had to deal with illness and thus has well-developed concepts about the healing process, healers, diagnosis, medical treatment, medical knowledge and healing practices.
What happened to Lia in 1986?
On the night before Thanksgiving in 1986, Lia had a massive seizure and went into status epilepticus. Sensing that this episode was more... (full context)
Where did Lia arrive?
Unfortunately, Lia arrived at Valley Children’s Hospital in the middle of another grand mal seizure. The doctors... (full context)
What chapter does Fadiman describe Lia's life?
Chapter 18: The Life or the Soul. Fadiman considers whether or not Lia ’s life would have been better if she had been treated by somebody like Arthur Kleinman... (full context) Chapter 19: The Sacrifice. Fadiman describes a healing ceremony for Lia that she attended at the Lees’ apartment in Merced.
What is Lia Lee's medical case?
Lia ’s medical case challenged the Merced hospital by presenting difficult... (full context) Chapter 1: Birth. Lia Lee was not born in the highlands of northwest Laos, where twelve of her older... (full context) Lia was the first Lee child born in America.
What is the story of the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down?
The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down tells the story of treating Lia’s epilepsy, examining her medical experience in Merced in order to consider divides between Hmong and American culture. Lia is the first Lee child born in an American hospital; her mother, Foua, delivered Lia’s thirteen brothers and sisters while standing over ...
What chapter does Foua give birth to?
Foua gave birth to her in Merced... (full context) Chapter 3: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Three months after her healthy birth, Lia went into a seizure after her older sister Yer loudly slammed the apartment door. Foua... (full context) ...Jeanine Hilt, a social worker who worked closely with the Lees, once said, ...
What happened to Neil when he saw Lia?
The first time Neil saw Lia in a routine checkup after her final seizure, he found himself very emotional. He expected... (full context)
How long did Lia stay unconscious?
However, nobody thought to take her temperature (101 degrees) or to pay attention to two other unusual signs, diarrhea and a very low platelet count. Lia had seized for nearly two hours; even a twenty-minute bout is seen as a life-threatening situation. When she stopped, she was breathing but still unconscious.
How did Lia die?
Later that day, the doctors gave Lia a CT scan and an EEG and found that she had essentially become brain-dead. Jeanine Hilt received a call and drove a number of relatives to Fresno; Dee and Tom Korda came as well. At the hospital, the doctors were preparing the family for Lia to die. They discontinued all life-sustaining measures so Lia could die naturally. They also took her off anticonvulsives since, without electrical activity in her brain, she couldn't seize anymore. Lia's parents requested to take her to Merced, where she could be with other relatives. Jeanine arranged to transfer her back to MCMC, where she could be supported until her death.
Why did Nao Kao have a spinal tap?
Nao Kao was the most distressed by the spinal tap, a routine procedure to find out if the bacteria had passed from her blood to her central nervous system. He attributed her condition to this procedure, which many Hmong believe to hold the potential of crippling a patient for both this life and future lives.
When did Lia have her seizures?
Chapter 11: The Big One. On November 25, 1986, the day before Thanksgiving, Lia was eating as normal when she began to seize. Her seizures normally lasted only a few minutes, but when she didn't get better, Nao Kao's nephew, who spoke English, called an ambulance. Nao Kao and Foua had always carried Lia to the hospital before, ...
What chapter does the Lees escape?
Chapter 12 : Flight. When the Lees first tried to escape from Laos in 1976, they were captured by Vietnamese soldiers and forced back to their village at gunpoint. One of their children died soon afterwards, as there was no medicine.
What was Lia's condition?
A critical care specialist named Maciej Kopacz diagnosed her condition as septic shock, in which bacteria in the circulatory system causes circulatory failure followed by the failure of one organ after another. To stop her seizures, Dr. Kopacz gave her a highly potent sedative, which more or less put her under general anesthesia. The doctors put her on a respirator delivering 100% oxygen, inserted two more catheters to monitor her blood pressure and deliver drugs, and put a third catheter through two chambers of her heart to monitor heart function. By the next morning, Lia had developed a disorder called disseminated intravascular coagulation, in which her blood could no longer clot and she started to bleed both from her IV sites and internally. In desperation, Dr. Kopacz removed her entire blood supply - twice - and replaced it with blood that was able to clot. Thankfully, the transfusion finally worked.
What river did the Lees cross?
On the way, they passed abandoned villages with former treasures, decomposing corpses, and starving children. Living west of the Mekong River, the Lees were able to cross into Thailand by foot, but the river posed an additional challenge for most Hmong. Many drowned or were shot trying to cross the river.
Who is Lia from I've Sound?
Lia was a member of Japanese techno/trance music production group I've Sound from 2001 to 2003, where she performed "Disintegration" in the Disintegration compilation album. She signed with Key Sounds Label in 2001, and Pony Canyon in 2004.
Who is Lia from Angel Beats?
Lia (singer) Lia (born December 20) is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She has performed various video game and anime theme songs, such as for Key's visual novels, Air, Clannad, and Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life, the opening theme for Angel Beats!, as well as theme songs for RF Online and Initial D Fourth Stage under Avex Trax.
What anime has Lia from RF Online?
Lia has also performed some Eurobeat songs for the anime series Initial D Fourth Stage entitled "All Around" and "Sky High" under the Avex Trax label.
Is Lia from Hong Kong a Japanese girl?
Lia is fluent in English and Japanese. On July 1, 2009, Lia announced on her blog that she was married and pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter on January 31, 2010. She has been living in Hong Kong since 2014.
Why is there no one knowing when the Big One will happen?
No one knows when the Big One ("BO") will happen because scientists cannot yet predict earthquakes with any precision. The 1906 San Francisco quake (mag ~7.8) and the 1857 Ft. Tejon quake (mag ~7.9) took place in northern and central California, respectively, and both were 'Big Ones'.
What is the magnitude of the Big One earthquake?
The 'Big One' is a hypothetical earthquake of magnitude ~8 or greater that is expected to happen along the SAF. Such a quake will produce devastation to human civilization within about 50-100 miles of the SAF quake zone, especially in urban areas like Palm Springs, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Why did we not know about the Northridge fault?
Recent experience with the Northridge quake shows that smaller and sometimes unknown faults can be a problem; until the earthquake, we did not know about the Northridge fault because it is a blind thrust fault. Even those who survive the immediate earthquake will find themselves in danger.
What happened to Lia in 1986?
Integration and Assimilation. Summary. Analysis. On the night before Thanksgiving in 1986, Lia had a massive seizure and went into status epilepticus. Sensing that this episode was more serious than the others, her parents decided to call an ambulance rather than running the three blocks to the hospital with her in their arms ...
Who visited Lia to die?
When they arrived, the doctors were “preparing the family for Lia to die.”. Dee and Tom Korda also visited; Dee later recalled in conversation with Fadiman that the doctors rudely tried to address them instead of Foua and Nao Kao because they saw the foster parents as white and intelligent.
Why were Foua and Nao Kao stupid?
Yet again, Foua and Nao Kao were assumed to be stupid because of their unfamiliarity with American culture. In addressing Dee and Tom Korda instead of the Lees, the doctors at Valley Children’s Hospital gave power not to their patient’s parents, but to the people who matched their idea of what it means to be capable of processing medical information.
Why did Lia die in Children's Valley Hospital?
Nao Kao and Foua arrived at Children’s Valley Hospital after Lia and were troubled to learn about the spinal tap that had been inserted. Fadiman notes that many Hmong believe spinal taps are “potentially crippling both in this life and in future lives.” Afterwards, Foua maintained that Lia got more and more sick because the doctors “gave her too much medicine.” After a week of procedures and tests, the doctors determined that Lia was, simply speaking, brain-dead. Jeanine Hilt helped drive many relatives to the hospital. When they arrived, the doctors were “preparing the family for Lia to die.” Dee and Tom Korda also visited; Dee later recalled in conversation with Fadiman that the doctors rudely tried to address them instead of Foua and Nao Kao because they saw the foster parents as white and intelligent.
What chapter does Lia go into status epilepticus?
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: Chapter 11. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. On the night before Thanksgiving in 1986, Lia had a massive seizure and went into status epilepticus.
What was the procedure for Lia in MCMC?
Finally, one of the doctors suggested that they try a procedure called a “saphenous cutdown, ” in which the patient’s vein is cut open and a catheter is inserted and then sutured into place. This finally stabilized Lia, who had been in status epilepticus for almost two hours (even just 20 minutes of status epilepticus is considered life-threatening). Oddly enough, she also had diarrhea and a fever—something the doctors noted but to which they paid no attention. Thinking that the situation was under control, Neil called Valley Children’s Hospital in Fresno (which was better equipped to handle such serious problems) and arranged for Lia to be transferred for the weekend, instructing them on the details of her case so that she would be adequately cared for in his absence.
What was Lia's temperature?
The doctors there found that her white blood-cell count was high and that she was running a temperature of 104.9º. The presiding specialist also noted that she was experiencing “explosive diarrhea showing large amount of water, foul smelling stools, with pus appearance.” This doctor worked on Lia for twelve consecutive hours that night (the night before Thanksgiving), failing to correctly identify her gender despite the fact that he correctly diagnosed her as suffering from septic shock, “the result of a bacterial invasion of the circulatory system” that can cause “the failure of one organ after another.” This subsequently lead to other serious conditions, eventually leaving Lia in a permanently nonresponsive state.
