Lia Lee

Lia Lee is the main character in Anne Fadiman's book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. Lia Lee was born on July 19, 1982 at Merced Community Medical Center in California. As the fourteenth child of Hmong immigrants, she was the first of her family to be born in America. Her family traveled to the United States to escape the devastation war had wrought in Laos, their homeland. They hoped their children would find peace in America. What awaited them was complete culture shock. This was exacerbated by a language barrier so complete that their daughter, Lia, received inadequate health care.

At the time of her birth, the medical chart described her as being eight pounds seven ounces and healthy. The delivery was uncomplicated and Lia appeared normal. However, during her infancy, Lia began having seizures. At their onset, her parents were nervous, but not distraught, because...