What a mother does for her children can’t really be described in words, can it? She sacrifices everything and is always on her toes, no matter the toll it takes. That’s especially true for former LPGA pro Jane Park. Her story has been all about her daughter Grace, who suffers from epilepsy, a condition that keeps her mom by her side almost 24/7. Park even retired from her well-established golf career to be there for Grace. And honestly, who can blame her? Grace needs her mom all the time.

Right now, though, Park finds herself in yet another whirlwind of uncertainty as Grace’s health has taken a concerning turn. Park, who regularly keeps her fans updated on her daughter’s journey, took to Instagram Stories to share an update that left her followers feeling her worry. Apparently, things got so bad that they had to rush Grace to the emergency room. Park said Grace was “super lethargic, nearly catatonic,” and on top of that, her left eye was swollen, red, and wouldn’t open.

The doctors acted quickly, running a CT scan with contrast to rule out anything more serious, like a deeper infection behind Grace’s eye. Thankfully, there wasn’t anything severe that required her to stay in the hospital, so they sent her home with antibiotics and eye drops. Still, Park admitted that the situation remains precarious. If Grace’s lethargy doesn’t improve, they’ll have to head back for another round of tests.

As if that’s not hard enough, Park reflected on just how much more challenging it is to figure out what’s going on when your child can’t speak. “Sometimes we lose, and other times we throw every possible thing against the wall and something sticks,” she shared. Such uncertainty can be frustrating adding stress to an already demanding situation.

For any parent, it isn’t easy to see their child in pain, and right now Park is going through the pain everyone can empathize with. “I haven’t seen her make this face before. It’s wonderful to see her make a new face but also kinda sad be she may be in pain,” Park wrote in her story.

Park never complains about her full-time mom duties, as a human even she has her limits too. While most of her social media posts are a health update on her daughter, she recently opened up on how difficult it gets for her at times.

Jane Park opened up about her mental struggles

For the first time, Park opened up about the toll Grace’s health challenges have taken on her mental well-being, and it’s a side of her story we don’t often hear.

“I have idled by on the sidelines as other parents advocate for epilepsy awareness month (it was Nov),” she shared. “I apologize for being late to the game.” November is a big month for raising awareness about epilepsy, but this year, Park admitted she just couldn’t muster the energy to fully participate.“My mental capacity lately has been very small with insurance renewal stuff, and everyday seizure BS,” she explained. “I haven’t had the energy to make my own posts about how much epilepsy blows.” It’s a brutally honest admission from someone who has spent so much of her time fighting for her child, but even the strongest moms have their breaking points.

Even though she wasn’t able to be as active as she wanted, Park made sure to thank those who kept the advocacy work going. “Thanks for your advocacy everyone!” she said. “I am in a funk and will get back to advocacy, hopefully sooner rather than later. Epilepsy sucks.” 

It’s not easy to admit when you’re struggling, but Park’s honesty about her mental health makes her story even more powerful. Parenting a child with complex medical needs is a constant balancing act, and sometimes just making it through the day is an accomplishment.