The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down - Section 1

Section 1 introduces Lia Lee, a young Hmong girl with epilepsy. Her family sees the seizures as more than a medical issue. They believe they are connected to her soul and have a spiritual meaning. The American doctors who treat her see the seizures as a neurological disorder that must be controlled with medication. These two views could not be more different, and that difference is at the center of the story. 

What stood out to me is how quickly small misunderstandings turn into big challenges. The doctors believe that missing even one dose of medication is dangerous. They see it as ignoring the seriousness of Lia’s condition. Her parents, on the other hand, believe that too much medicine can harm her. They also do not always agree with the doctors’ instructions because those instructions do not match what they believe about illness. Both sides care deeply about Lia, but they are speaking completely different “languages” when it comes to health. 

Reading this made me think about how much of medicine is about trust and communication. It is not enough to have the right treatment if the patient or their family does not understand it or believe in it. In Lia’s case, the problem is not just the seizures. It is also the gap between two cultures and the lack of a bridge between them. 

I also realized how easily this could happen in real life. Doctors are trained to see illness in a certain way. Families bring their own beliefs and traditions with them. If those two worlds do not meet in the middle, the patient can end up caught in between. Lia’s story shows how much harm can come from that kind of disconnect, even when everyone has good intentions. 

This section makes it clear that the book is about more than one girl’s illness. It is about how culture shapes the way we see health and healing. It sets the stage for a story where understanding each other becomes just as important as treating the disease. 

- AnthroManTalks