In July 2021, LPGA pro Jane Park’s life changed when her infant daughter Grace suffered her first seizure. Forced to leave the tour, Park devoted herself fully to Grace, who was later diagnosed with a rare form of intractable epilepsy at just 10 months old. Since then, their journey has been marked by both seizures and milestones. The latest episode occurred this Friday while Grace was at school. Disclosing the details of the health update, Park recently shared an Instagram story.

The update included a picture of the LPGA pro driving home in her car, while Grace was asleep in the backseat. With exhaustion clearly painted on her face, it highlighted the impact of the brutal seizure that knocked her out for hours.

Park shared, “Kiddo had a gnarly seizure at school today and has been dozing for a few hours. Remained asleep on the 7-minute drive home, so here we sit in the garage listening to @yelyahwilliams’ solo album (every song is) mixed with the low and steady snore of my 5-year-old in the back seat.”

This underscores the struggles of battling a disease that has no linear path to recovery. While Park got used to the constant epileptic episodes, the terror and panic remained. Topping that with Grace’s intractable condition, meaning that drugs have no effect on the seizures, and life couldn’t get harder for a 5-year-old. Laced with grief and distress, Park has acknowledged that what’s actually hard is seeing her daughter in pain. “I feel sad for her a lot of the time, not because of her disability but the fact that she suffers so much from this incurable disease. It’s taking so much energy from her now and doesn’t seem to recover as well as she used to,” Park shared.

As the retired pro noted, the seizures have started taking more time to recover; moreover, the effects apparently last longer than they used to. However, the worst news is that the seizures themselves have started becoming progressively worse. The 38-year-old shared that while the episodes aren’t as frequent, the intensity has increased.

Commenting on her fear, Park added, “It’s been scary to see her seizures change and develop as of late. They don’t happen as often, but man, they’re getting so dang strong and violent.” In fact, if Grace were physically mobile, she would have gotten a serious head trauma during her seizures.

However, the LPGA pro understands that the journey with epilepsy is not a straightforward path. There is no direct cure for the condition. Grace’s intractable condition makes matters worse, with minimal recovery observed from medications. In Grace’s early days with epilepsy, the then-10-month-old spent weeks unresponsive while heavy on medications. The baby had experienced massive seizures and brain swelling, which had caused severe brain damage. Ever since, Grace has had extensive treatment and full-time care.

While the condition hasn’t necessarily improved, in fact, it has worsened, Park remains grateful. Even amidst battling her emotions of fear over the limited lifespan of Grace, she chooses to celebrate milestones as reminders of her daughter’s tenacious journey. “In this moment, I’m thankful to see this little face in my rear view.” The future remains uncertain, but for Park, the present smile outweighs any upcoming challenges.

Jane Park and Grace’s journey with epilepsy

It’s pretty safe to say, both Grace and Park have experienced hell over the past few years. Beginning July 2021, while Park was in Dallas at the Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America, Grace suffered a sudden health crisis. She was immediately hospitalised, where doctors discovered her drug-resistant form of epilepsy. She had suffered remarkable brain damage, reaching into her gray matter. The conditions got so critical that the infant had to spend a month in the ICU, marking a difficult chapter in Park’s life.

While the conditions improved temporarily, the seizures remained unpredictable. Often experiencing violent seizures, Grace also lost her ability to move. The 5-year-old needs full-time care for feeding, walking, and her medical management. As a matter of fact, the doctors provided 5-10 years for Grace to live. Defying all odds against Grace, the baby recently turned 5 years old. That marked a significant milestone for Park, who couldn’t help but get emotional.

Jane Park, who left the LPGA tour for full-time care of Grace, continues to support her daughter through the challenges. Sharing frequent updates with her followers, the 38-year-old has rallied a raving, supportive community. Through it all, Park’s love and dedication show that hope and resilience can carry them forward.