The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

While reading Lia Lee's story, I am constantly asking the question of what should have happened, should have been done, could have been more successful, etc. In this case there were many mistakes made early on, on the side of the parents and the doctors. The misdiagnosis at the beginning made it harder both for Lia's recovery and for the parent's
trust.
I have tried to imagine a system in which the Lee's could have encountered Western medicine,
worked together with the doctors, and been more successful in helping Lia. While her condition
seems to be so serious that there was probably no perfect "happy ending" possible, I feel
like the situation would have been at least better had the hospital had the correct knowledge
and resources to overcome the communication barrier.
This is, undoubtedly, a daunting task. The individuals in the book who are successful in
communicating with the Hmong each have their unique way of going about it. I'm not sure if a
system could be put in place to make this goal achievable for everyone. First of all, it
takes a lot of time and patience, which are not always available from modern Western doctors.
A lot more was needed than simply a translator; they needed (as Sukey Waller called them) "cultural brokers." I'm not sure if an "ideal" system could have existed at all.