“Epilepsy doesn’t want us to have nice moments.” These poignant words from former LPGA Tour player Jane Park highlight the harsh realities of living with epilepsy, as she shares her emotional journey caring for her daughter, Grace, who was diagnosed with refractory epilepsy at just 10 months old. Park’s love and dedication to her daughter are inspiring. A recent Instagram post revealed a heart-wrenching moment where Grace fell asleep clutching her mother’s ear, only to wake up 15 minutes later with a severe seizure, shattering the brief moment of peace.
But Park isn’t the type to go down without a fight. To help her daughter, Park found a new passion in painting, creating golf-inspired art that reflects her heart and soul. Her latest Instagram post shows us this. She created a limited-edition series of paintings depicting iconic Masters moments, offering originals of Tiger, Jack, and Shota, while already selling the Rory piece. Bidding for the art will open and close on Friday, April 18.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the love and support you’ve shown for my golf-inspired art-it truly means the world! I’ve created these limited edition paintings honoring some of the best moments IMO of Masters history. I will have prints available soon, but Tiger, Jack, and Shota (Hidecki’s caddie) are the only 3 originals available, as the Rory painting has already been sold.
She added, “Because of the kind interest of this series, I’ll be opening them up for bidding starting at 5300 and will close at 12PM on Friday, April 18. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Epilepsy Foundation, a cause close to my heart. Thank you again for your encouragement and support. I’m so honored to share this with you,” she wrote on her Instagram story.
Encouragement and support have never been in short supply for Park. And its all thanks to her fellow LPGA stars—and this time was no different. When Park announced her art fundraiser for the Epilepsy Foundation, golfers like Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, and Meghan Khang showed their support. Korda reposted Park’s post and commented, “DM @thejanepark to bid,” while Ko added, “Check out these amazing artwork @thejanepark painted! DM Jane directly to bid!!! Portion of the proceedings are going to a great cause. Thank you for all the support.”
Khang also praised Park’s talent, saying, “I’ve always known that @thejanepark was talented but goodness…” Their supportive comments highlighted Park’s talent and the good cause, demonstrating the friendship within the LPGA community. Especially right now, kindness is what Park needs with all that she is going through.
How the struggles have taken a toll on Jane Park’s mental health
Jane Park’s journey as a mother to a child with epilepsy has been incredibly challenging. And she’s now opening up about the toll it’s taken on her mental well-being. “My mental capacity lately has been very small with insurance renewal stuff, and everyday seizure BS,” she shared. Park admitted that she couldn’t muster the energy to participate in epilepsy awareness efforts in November. Advocates dedicate November specifically to raising awareness about the condition.
Despite not being as active in advocacy as she’d like, Park thanked those who continued the work, saying, “Thanks for your advocacy, everyone! I am in a funk and will get back to advocacy, hopefully sooner rather than later. Epilepsy sucks.”
She also expressed her struggles, stating, “I haven’t had the energy to make my own posts about how much epilepsy blows.” Park’s honesty about her mental health struggles makes her story even more powerful. She shows us the challenges of parenting a child with complex medical needs, and one cannot help but feel for her. What are your thoughts on her story? Let us know in the comment section below!
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