the spirit catches you and you fall down by anne fadiman

The fact that doctors can call the police and remove a child from her parents illustrates the power differential between doctors and refugees, despite the United State's reputation for freedom.Ĭhild Protective Services (CPS) held a hearing that Nao Kao attended, but he did not realize he had the right to object. The Hmong believe that parents, not doctors, are ultimately responsible for deciding the treatment of a child. The Lees loved Lia very much and were doing their best to be good parents, so it didn't seem fair that Lia should be taken. They did learn a lesson, but not the one Neil intended rather, they believed even more strongly that doctors should not be trusted. The Hmong community was upset at what had happened. Foua was out of the house, and Nao Kao was so angry he nearly killed the translator. Her parents were not told of the decision ahead of time. After blood tests showed she still wasn't receiving the proper dosages, Lia was removed again for a placement of at least six months. Two weeks later, she went home and her parents were given one more chance. In May 1985, Lia was placed in a foster home with a pair of Mennonite sisters who would strap her into a car seat in the living room every time she became hyperactive. Neil did not wish to prosecute the parents, just to put Lia into the care of those who would administer her medications exactly as prescribed. In the case of minors, the state has the right to force compliance with life-saving treatments even if it goes against the family's religion. Neil had a right to file a report with Child Protective Services once he realized her parents were endangering her health, and in fact, by state law he was required to.

He also felt there were certain rules the Hmong needed to abide by, and that it was important for the community to see that.

He worried about the possible consequences, having heard and believed a rumor that a Hmong father had hanged himself in jail after being unjustly accused of child abuse, but he felt he had no choice. He saw her parents' noncompliance as a form of child abuse, which is why he eventually notified Child Protective Services. When first treating Lia, he never considered lowering his standard of care. However, he now wonders if it might have been better to keep Lia's prescriptions more consistent so that her parents could more easily comply and so that they would have more confidence in the system. Neil Ernst didn't believe in giving a different standard of care to different patients, which is why he continuously fine-tuned her drug regimen.

The spirit catches you and you fall down by anne fadiman