Jeanine Hilt, although she had little direct interaction with Lia Lee, remained nonetheless a very important figure in her life. As a highly devoted Child Protective Services caseworker, her actions had a significant impact on the life of not only Lia, but the entire Lee family, as well as the doctors and hospital staff who tried to make sure that Lia was receiving the best care possible.
Jeanine enters the narrative in the seventh chapter, roughly a third of the way through the book. It is immediately clear to us, as the readers, that she is driven and truly believes in what she does. In order to fulfill her duty to the children placed under her care, she must ensure that they have the best possible environment in which to develop. She immediately does this for Lia. Not only does she manage to obtain for Lia’s foster parents and abnormally large fee, but she also is, in the words of Dr. Neil Ernst, “an incredible patient advocate.” (Fadiman, 114) Always striving to provide Lia with care for an illness that would be difficult to surmount under the best of circumstances, Jeanine Hilt did her utmost in order to meliorate this crucible for not only Lia, but her parents, Foua and Nao Kao Lee, as well. To this end, she made Lia’s transition from the care …show more content…
She even went on to ensure that the stay would be as brief as possible when it became clear that the Lee’s loved their daughter dearly and would
Jeanine enters the narrative in the seventh chapter, roughly a third of the way through the book. It is immediately clear to us, as the readers, that she is driven and truly believes in what she does. In order to fulfill her duty to the children placed under her care, she must ensure that they have the best possible environment in which to develop. She immediately does this for Lia. Not only does she manage to obtain for Lia’s foster parents and abnormally large fee, but she also is, in the words of Dr. Neil Ernst, “an incredible patient advocate.” (Fadiman, 114) Always striving to provide Lia with care for an illness that would be difficult to surmount under the best of circumstances, Jeanine Hilt did her utmost in order to meliorate this crucible for not only Lia, but her parents, Foua and Nao Kao Lee, as well. To this end, she made Lia’s transition from the care …show more content…
She even went on to ensure that the stay would be as brief as possible when it became clear that the Lee’s loved their daughter dearly and would