While the world counted down to midnight with the sound of music and fireworks, Jane Park was by her five-year-old daughter, Grace’s, side on a hospital bed in the ICU. Despite facing the hardship, she was grateful.

“Spending our first New Year’s Eve in the ICU, and it’s the thing I feel most thankful for. Help arrived this year in so many hands that held us. We’ve been carried in more ways than one. Every hard step this year was steadied by someone else’s kindness,” the U.S. Women’s Amateur winner shared on her Instagram story. “I hope you all have a safe NYE celebration. Sending and receiving love from you all has been the greatest gift of this year.”

The latest medical scare started just before the holiday when Grace developed a dangerous case of pneumonia. Jane shared a sad photo of her daughter wearing a blue gown with tubes on her face yesterday. The retired golfer also admitted that she felt more worried now because the medical team opted for a BiPAP mask. This special mask does most of the breathing for Grace, so her body does not have to do the hard work.

Grace is receiving a much stronger antibiotic to knock out whatever is causing her high fevers, and her mom is keeping a close eye on the oxygen levels. This run to the hospital is one part of Grace’s long journey, as life was already hard before this sickness arrived.

Grace was first diagnosed with intractable epilepsy around July 2021, and since then, the family has experienced hardships. And this year in October, Grace suffered a “gnarly seizure” at school that left her dozing for several hours. Jane noted that the seizures were changing and becoming much stronger and more violent than before, and the intensity of these episodes has increased even though they do not happen as often now.

By late November, the medical situation became even more terrifying during a scary car ride with Grace. Park showed her little girl struggling in the backseat while she tried to comfort the child. One medication had to be doubled in dose, but it did not seem to help at all, and doctors were then discussing a “stereo EEG” probe to see if brain surgery is a real option.

Despite the current fear, the family remains anchored by the incredible support of the entire LPGA community. And Park sent out positive news in her recent update, writing, “Didn’t regress more after this morning. The BiPAP mask is doing most of the breathing for her, so she’s not working too hard. Started on a stronger antibiotic to help knock whatever it is that’s still causing her to spike fevers.”

From the Fairway to the ICU: Jane Park’s Five-Year Fight for Grace

Everything changed forever during a golf tournament in Texas back in the summer of July 2021. Grace was a healthy ten-month-old baby when a sudden fever turned into a crisis. Grace suffered massive seizures and brain swelling that caused permanent and severe brain damage. This led Jane to leave her golf career to become a full-time caregiver for Grace.

Doctors originally told the couple that Grace might only live between five to ten years at most. However, the brave little girl reached a massive milestone when she celebrated her fifth birthday last September. Jane Park wrote a beautiful message about how her daughter proves the doctors wrong every single day.

And Jane Park made a special return to the greens in 2023 for the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. She played alongside her close friend Paula Creamer to share her world with her daughter, Grace. This was not a real comeback but a way to rewrite the ending of her golf story. Pete Godfrey even caddied for his wife to make the week a true family affair.

And to find some peace, Jane Park started painting eleven months ago using simple YouTube tutorials. This small hobby quickly turned into a successful side job for the talented former professional golfer, and she finds joy in mixing colors while Grace sits nearby watching videos on her small iPad.