The spirit catches you and you fall challenged me to start thinking about different ways to address cultural barriers. Using the Lee family and Lia as an example, the book identifies the challenges the family has faced over the years and the challenges faced by the suppliers as well. Consequently, the book highlights the need for intercultural communication in medicine, in an effort to eliminate barriers faced by both sides. After completing the book, my feelings towards the Lee family changed. I was initially frustrated because Lia's parents seemed adamant and unwilling to take care of her, considering the severity of her illness. From a Western perspective, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable population and require greater attention and precautions. I shadowed a pharmacist working in a children's hospital and observed the level of care provided to patients (p. 271). She also spent some time interviewing the different doctors who cared for Lia, asking them if there was anything that would have been done differently to provide a better outcome. Fadiman evidently wants the reader to understand how cultural difference can become a barrier in the provision of medical care. Bruce Thowpaou Bliatout, who was a Hmong medical administrator, provides some measures to improve Hmong health care, including minimizing blood sampling, allowing shamanic ceremonies in the hospital, involving family, and encouraging traditional arts. As difficult as it may be, it is important for suppliers to understand cultural differences and try to accommodate them. One can only imagine the challenges the Lee family faced being in a foreign country, speaking a foreign language, having a different perspective on life in general, and having a seriously ill child.