A southbound flight from Portland was diverted to Reno Sunday when a young girl from Klamath Falls suffered an in-flight seizure…It’s the latest chapter in the life of cancer survivor and burn victim Ireland Lane.
12 year old Ireland Lane is still recovering from burns suffered at a Portland hospital last February, when static electricity ignited hand sanitizer on her clothing.
Stephen Lane says his daughter still has emotional scars that sometimes show up in the form of seizures…
“It’s not neurological. It’s just her poor little mind can’t handle stress anymore.”
An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Reno Sunday when Ireland had one of those seizures.
“It starts off with her going catatonic – you can’t wake her up.” Explains Stephen Lane. “Then she starts rhythmically shaking, jerking – like an actual grand mal seizure.”
After being checked out at a Reno hospital, Ireland was flown to Seattle, then down to Ontario, California – and on to summer camp.
Ireland recently completed fifth grade at Conger Elementary School in Klamath Falls, but now she’s headed down to a summer camp called ‘Angel Faces’.
Stephen Lane explains that the camp helps teen girls like Ireland cope with the emotional aftermath of burn trauma…
“She gets to make friends that she can talk to about how she’s feeling, girls who know what she’s gone through and can help her.”
In an interview last April, Ireland noted that she’s getting used to the attention.
“Were you surprised at all of the attention that people are wanting to interview you’ ‘No.’ ‘No How come’ ‘Because people love me.”
And Ireland’s love for others is evident, too.
Ireland is the oldest of four kids in the Lane family.
Ireland was diagnosed with a rare form of kidney cancer at the age of six, and has undergone over 40 surgeries since that diagnosis.
You can learn more about the ‘Angel Faces’ program at: www.angelfacesretreat.org
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