The past 24 hours have been especially difficult for Baby Lane.
He has experienced severe vomiting and continues to struggle with managing secretions — an issue that is placing increasing strain on his lungs. One moment he can appear relatively stable. The next, he is in visible respiratory distress. The fluctuations are sudden, dramatic, and exhausting for both Lane and the family walking beside him.
Many caring voices have suggested medications to help dry up secretions. That outpouring of concern speaks volumes. But for Lane, treatment decisions are far from straightforward.
The medications commonly used to reduce secretions are anticholinergic drugs. They work by blocking acetylcholine in the parasympathetic nervous system — essentially slowing certain automatic body functions such as saliva and mucus production.
For most patients, this can be helpful.
For Lane, it is complicated.
Some anticholinergic medications cross the blood-brain barrier. In a child with neurological injury and epilepsy, those drugs can increase the risk of seizures, altered mental status, and further neurological instability.
Others do not significantly enter the brain — but they can affect heart rhythm. For a child with a cardiac history that includes Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (WPW), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), post-ablation status, and long QT syndrome, even small changes in electrical conduction can be dangerous.
In simple terms:
The medications his brain might better tolerate could jeopardize his heart.
The medications safer for his heart could threaten his brain.
That is the reality his care team must weigh with every single decision.
For Lane, “less is more” has often proven to be the safest philosophy. Every medication carries ripple effects. Every adjustment must account for neurological vulnerability and cardiac sensitivity at the same time.
Even his stable days require vigilance.
And yet — he continues to fight.
His family continues to advocate thoughtfully and courageously, balancing comfort with safety, short-term relief with long-term impact. There are no easy answers — only careful decisions made with deep love.
Please continue to keep Lane in your thoughts — for comfort in his body, steadiness in his heart rhythm, calm in his breathing, and gentler days ahead. 🖤
