Anna Chue

Anna Chue is a patient who came in with back pain that was caused by a spinal tumor.

History
Anna had had a twinge in her back for a while. She thought it would go away, but then her legs started to go numb, so she came into the hospital. They ran some tests, which revealed a spinal tumor. Her father insisted that she not have surgery and they'd be taking her home. Because she is Hmong and her father is an elder, Anna agreed that she would be discharged, even though she was advised she'd be paralyzed within 24 hours without surgery.

Meredith talked to Anna to make sure she understood her condition and learned that her father's insistence was because he believed her sickness was caused by one of her souls being missing. Before she could have surgery, she needed a Shaman healing ritual. Derek asked her father about doing that, but he said their Shaman is 500 miles away. Derek offered use of a helicopter to get the Shaman so that he could treat Anna.

They brought their Shaman to Seattle and had the healing ritual. Once it was complete, Anna was taken into surgery. The surgery went well and Derek said she'd be fine.

Familial
Anna and her family are Hmong. She respects her father and their beliefs very highly, so she agreed not to have surgery she needed until after a healing ritual.

Notes and Trivia

 * She plays in a band.
 * She goes to University of Washington.