![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Such illnesses often indicate to the Hmong that a person “has been chosen to be the host of a healing spirit.” As such, the Lees were conflicted about Lia’s affliction, for while they wanted their daughter to be healthy, they were also fond of the idea of her assuming such a culturally sought after and important role. In contrast to how Western medicine approaches this affliction, the Hmong believe quag dab peg brings a person distinction, as seizures often deem people “fit for divine office.” Indeed, many Hmongs with epilepsy often become txiv neebs, or shamanistic healers-a very well-respected position in Hmong culture. In English-and medical-terms, this is called epilepsy. Foua and Nao Kao immediately suspected what happened: the loud sound so frightened their daughter that her soul fled her body, a phenomenon known to them as quag dab peg, meaning the spirit catches you and you fall down. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is the literal translation of the Hmong terminology for an epileptic seizure. ![]() Three months after her healthy birth, Lia went into a seizure after her older sister Yer loudly slammed the apartment door. I hope The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is settling into its proper place not as the book about the Hmong but as a book about communication and miscommunication across cultures. ![]()
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