Lia’s treatment raises a dilemma between the medical team and Lia’s family following the assumptions and perceptions towards the prescribed treatment approaches. Each party holds beliefs and approaches that would improve Neil’s life through treatment. However, the case presents different ethical confusions that influence the treatment of the Lees daughter. Neil Ernst is much concerned with the care for Lia defining various treatment options that would improve the child’s health. Neil suggests a medical regimen that he is sure would improve the child’s health state. However, the Lee family holds onto beliefs strengthening their unbending will to attend to their daughter (Fadiman, 1999). Moreover, Foua and Nao Kao disagree with the proposed medical treatment indicating their desire to treat their daughter in their own beliefs. Towards Lia’s treatment, Neil and Peggy prescribe multiple drugs that Lia’s parents find too confusing.
The main ethical dilemma, in this case, emanates from cultural beliefs held by the Lee family. Being members of the Hmong people, Lia’s parents cling on cultural beliefs, which they believe they would heal their daughter. The cultural beliefs present varying choices on Lia’s treatment. In addition, Fadiman asserts that Hmong people are stubborn a character that distracts the ability to make an effective choice. Lia’s family had a narrow chance to make a choice regarding their daughter. Their unwillingness to cooperate with the medical officers and failure to follow doctor’s rules was endangering the life of their daughter. On the other hand, Neil remains unbending in his care for Lia since he is determined to offer good quality services to his patients. According to "Sheena Iyengar: The Art of Choosing", Lia’s parents have their assumptions that are shaped by their background cultural beliefs and they hugely affect their choices.
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Additionally, the nature of communication between the doctors and the Lee family is another source of confusion (Fadiman, 1999). The doctors had prescribed medicines as a way of treatment. However, Lia’s parents find it confusing since the doctors had not explained or followed up on the administration of the prescribed treatment. When Lia is taken away from home, her treatment is done through the administration of the prescribed drugs that maintain her in good health. However, the stubbornness described in the context is still evidenced when Lia’s parents refuse to cooperate with the government and sign the social services plan to support their willingness to administer their daughter’s prescribed medications.
The best response for Lia’s case should entail selecting the choice that will ensure Lia’s safety. As presented through different cases, failure to administer the prescribed medicines on Lia deteriorates her health. For instance, when Lia went home for a one-week trial, her parents fail to administer the prescribed medication. In return, this case worsens her health and she is taken back to the hospital and taken back to the care of Dee and Korda. Lia’s parents have their choices of saving their daughter being bound by the cultural beliefs and they remain unbending on their choices to neglect what should save their daughter.
As suggested by Damon Horowitz in “calls for a 'moral operating system'", the culture of the modern treatment is beyond the beliefs based on the assumptions by the Lees family. Their assumptions have based a ground that is negatively impacting their daughter following their neglect of what should be advocated for. Lia’s family still exhibits their unwillingness to mediate between the modern treatment approach and their cultural beliefs. The medical team was right since they are aware of the danger facing Lia’s health upon failure to administer the prescribed medication. The Lees family’s assumptions are greatly influenced by the cultural beliefs behind their origin; the Hmong people. This affects the value of their choice to neglecting the approaches that save their daughter’s life. Therefore, Lia’s case supports the fact that the value of choice is based on our abilities to develop different perceptions of the options provided.
References
Fadiman, A. (1999). The spirit catches you and you fall down. New York: Noonday .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDq9-QxvsNU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG3vB2Cu_jM
