Lia Lee died in Sacramento on Aug. 31. (Her death was not widely reported outside California.)
What was Lia’s diagnosis by her American doctors?
Lia Lee was born July 19, 1982, in Merced. When she was 3 months old, she had her first seizure. American doctors eventually diagnosed epilepsy.
When did Lia Lee have her first seizure?
Lia experienced her first seizure at three months of age, but a resident at Merced Community Medical Center misdiagnosed her condition, and the hospital was unable to communicate with her parents since the hospital had no Hmong interpreters.
What happens to Lia in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down?
The Spirit Catches You closes with a neeb ceremony—a Hmong religious ritual meant to bring Lia’s soul back to her body after a big seizure leaves her officially brain-dead. As an outsider, author Anne Fadiman is our gateway into these proceedings.
Where do Hmong people come from?
Hmong, ethnic group living chiefly in China and Southeast Asia and speaking Hmong, one of the Hmong-Mien languages (also known as Miao-Yao languages). Since the late 18th century, the Hmong alone among the Miao groups have slowly migrated out of the southern provinces of China, where about 2.7 million still remain.
What language do Hmong speak?
Hmong is part of the Chuanqiandian Cluster, a branch of the Chinese Miao language. More than 2.7 million people speak Hmong worldwide.
What do Hmong believe that epileptics often become?
Epilepsy is recognized as a serious illness that can cause great suffering, but it is also seen as a distinguished affliction, since (as in many cultures) Hmong epileptics often grow up to become shamans.
What do the Hmong believe happens if someone is unconscious or under anesthesia?
The Hmong believe that there is only a finite amount of blood in the body, doctors are continually taking it. When people are unconscious, their souls are at large, so anesthesia may lead to illness or death. Surgery is taboo and so are autopsies and embalming.
Who is the only one to ask what the Lees are doing to heal Lia?
Jeanine Hilt was the only one who ever asked the Lees how they were treating Lia’s developmental delays. She had secured them their disability money and so was held in high esteem.
What was wrong with Lia Lee?
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.
What happened to Lia’s condition after she was sent home under her parents care?
She explains how, days after Lia came home from MCMC, her fever dropped, her respiration returned to normal, and her gag reflexes came back—her doctors thought this was the result of decreased brain swelling, while her parents believed it was the result of the herbal remedies they bathed her in when she left the
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.
What did Lia do when she seemed to know a seizure was coming?
Foua and Nao Kao knew when a seizure was coming on, because Lia knew. The aura, a sense of premonition common to all epileptics, could be seen in Lia in a strange, scared expression, and they would pick her up and gently lay her down on a mattress in the living room, placed there just for that purpose.
Who was Jeanine hilt?
Jeanine Hilt was the CPS worker in charge of Lia’s during the time she spent in foster care. She was concerned about Lia’s continued state of deterioration, and took it upon herself to teach the Lees how to administer Lia’s medication properly.
Are Hmong Chinese?
The Hmong are an ethnic group of people with specific language and culture. The Hmong originally came from China with over 4,000 years of history. Some Hmong left China to Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma beginning in the early 1800’s as a result of land expansion by the Chinese government.
Is Hmong the same as Chinese?
Are Hmong Chinese? The answer to that is No; the Hmong are a minority group in China, but they are not considered Han Chinese. The Hmong is considered a Chinese ethnic group or a Chinese minority group living mainly in southeast Asia.
What kind of food do Hmong eat?
The Hmong staple food is white rice, which is usually eaten with a variety of vegetables, hot pepper (often in the form of a Southeast Asian-inspired sauce) and boiled or fried meat if it is available. Sticky (glutinous) rice—either white or purple—is commonly served at gatherings and on other special occasions.
