Lia Lee ended up in a vegetative state, what are the factors that contributed to this sad end?

Lia Lee was an epileptic child whose tragic story illustrates the cultural divide between the Hmong and the American medical systems. Lia was the fourteenth child of Foua Yang and Nao Kao Lee and arguably their favorite. They spoiled her and treated her like a princess, believing that her epilepsy marked her as special and that she might someday become a shaman. Lia's frequent seizures resulted in mental retardation, and she often threw tantrums. At the same time, she was very affectionate and extremely well loved. Her parents had very different ideas from her doctors about the cause and optimal treatment of Lia's disease. As a result, she was placed in foster care for one year in order to ensure she would receive the recommended medicines. Lia eventually lost brain function as a result of septic shock, possibly brought on by the weakened state of her immune system caused by so much medication. Her family continued to love and care for her in her vegetative state for over twenty-five years.