In multi-cultural American this is 100% NORMAL for most immigrants. And has been for 100-200 years. I've heard stories from my grandparents and relatives. My ex's Spanish-only-speaking relatives would talk about it.
This is why immigrants bringing minor children to doctor's appointments as translators is so utterly stereotypical: it actually happens.
It's the next best thing to the alternative by self-preservation - you get creative and put in the work. There's no way to have translators available for any arbitrary doctor - it's too expensive and the language of medical interaction is generally the highest language complexity activity the average person will have to deal with.
I've experienced this while traveling overseas. And you have to prepare for doctor's visits far more than "back home" if you want to get the best care. When I was living in a non-English-speaking neighborhood, I'd have to spend time translating my symptoms to the local language. Without computers, I'd probably need to hand-copy it from a paper dictionary instead. 50 years ago it would be very much a pantomime/charades scenario.
And here's the kicker: talking symptoms is SUPER inaccurate even with both doctor and patient speaking the same language unless the doctor has time and skills for teasing out things the patient doesn't know are relevant. And the doctors on a bell curve of that skill - plenty don't know what they don't know because they are on the low side of the curve so they miss things also.