This case study examines the intersection of culture and healthcare through the story of a first-generation American child of Puerto Rican descent who suffers from severe asthma. When conventional prescription medications fail to control his symptoms, his grandmother recommends consulting an espiritista — a traditional spiritual healer — leading the family to abandon pharmaceutical treatment in favor of herbal teas and prayer. The paper analyzes the contrasting perspectives of the family, the grandmother, and the clinic physicians, explores why the mother turned to traditional healing rather than returning to the clinic, and identifies the normative cultural values that shape the family's open-minded approach to integrating both Western and traditional Puerto Rican medicine.
The subject of this case study was the first in his family to be born on American soil, which meant that his life was destined to straddle two worlds: the world of his parents and ancestors in Puerto Rico, and the world of his life as an American citizen. His parents were "very proud" that their son could be born on American soil and worked hard to make that happen ("The Case of [Student]," n.d.). His Spanish-speaking household consists of himself, three older siblings, one younger sibling, his parents, and his grandmother.
Severe asthma has hampered his health since he was two years old. His parents changed their lifestyle to accommodate and remedy the situation, going so far as to move to a new apartment. He receives and takes medication for his asthma but still experiences symptoms such as nighttime wheezing. Because the medications were not working, his grandmother suggested that he see an espiritista — a traditional spiritual healer rooted in Puerto Rican folk medicine. He did, and stopped taking prescription medications in favor of the herbal teas and prayer remedies the espiritista prescribed.
When the family visited the clinic for a follow-up to their initial consultation six months after his hospitalization, they were confronted with the fact that the espiritista's methods were contradictory to those offered by the American doctors. The grandmother and the family view the situation as being quite simple: whatever helps the child is good. If the espiritista's remedies work, they will follow her advice. If the doctors' remedies work, they will follow those instead. Given that the child was still experiencing symptoms even after a prolonged period on medication and significant lifestyle changes, it is entirely understandable that the family would not place unqualified trust in the medical system.
The clinic physicians, by contrast, approach the situation from within a Western biomedical framework that does not readily accommodate spiritual or herbal interventions. This divergence in worldview — not a lack of concern for the child's well-being — is at the heart of the conflict between the family and the clinic ("The Case of [Student]," n.d.).
The mother consulted the espiritista because the prescription medications were clearly not working. The family had already made considerable sacrifices to improve the child's condition, including relocating to a new home. It was therefore perfectly reasonable for them to conclude that the clinic doctors did not have an effective treatment for his particular case, and to turn instead to traditional Puerto Rican espiritismo — a healing tradition that blends spiritual belief, herbal medicine, and prayer. Reverting to familiar cultural remedies was not a rejection of medicine but a rational response to a treatment plan that had failed to produce results.
"How cultural values shape open-minded treatment choices"
This case illustrates how cultural background and prior treatment outcomes together shape a family's healthcare decisions, and why clinicians must recognize traditional healing practices as legitimate components of patient-centered care. The family's willingness to engage with both biomedical and espiritismo-based healing reflects an integrative worldview that the clinic would do well to understand rather than dismiss. Bridging this gap requires cultural humility on the part of healthcare providers and an openness to dialogue about the diverse ways in which patients and families conceptualize health and healing.
You’re 67% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 1 section.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.