Being a mom is a full-time job, and for Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods‘ niece, the challenges of motherhood took on a whole new level in 2024. While moms rarely expect recognition for all their godly work, Cheyenne has been open about her journey, especially with her daughter Maya’s health struggles.
When Maya was born, things seemed perfect. But soon, things took a tough turn. She faced issues with feeding and gaining weight, struggling with severe reflux and laryngomalacia. Because of this, she had to rely on a feeding tube after surgery. Of course, for any mother, seeing their child in such a condition must be heartbreaking. Even at times, Cheyenne used to feel overwhelmed and helpless.
Tiger Woods’s niece explains the 2024 challenges
Reflecting on the year, Cheyenne shared a carousel of pictures with Maya and her son Cameron on social media. “2024 broke me and challenged me in ways I wasn’t prepared for, but we made it through,” she shared. Despite all the tough moments, she’s incredibly proud of Maya and their growth. “Maya is way stronger than me, but we’ve grown so much together,” Cheyenne added.
In the post, Cheyenne opened up about their feeding journey. She shared that last New Year’s Eve, they were in the hospital, not knowing what 2024 would bring. “The ability to feed our daughter was never a question that had ever crossed my mind when she was born,” Cheyenne said. But with Maya’s condition, they had to turn to tube feeding and adjust to a new way of life, which kept them pretty homebound except for doctor visits and therapy.
“For 10 months, Maya was 100% dependent on her tube feeds,” Cheyenne explained. “She spent a majority of those months throwing up 15+ times a day and throughout the nights.”
Despite everything, Cheyenne is proud of Maya’s progress. “We are SO proud of all the hard work she’s put in and the progress she has made,” she said. And even through the sleepless nights and those tough moments of doubt, she’s grateful for the support she got from her family and friends. “I’m so grateful for our family and friends who were here to support us every step of the way,” Cheyenne shared.
2024 may have been tough for Cheyenne, but it’s clear her strength as a mom has only grown. And she’s not alone—former LPGA player Jane Park has had her own share of challenges while raising her little one.
Jane Park opened up about her mental health struggle amidst her mom’s duty.
When it comes to their kids, parents will do just about anything, even if it means putting their dreams on hold. Jane Park, a former LPGA Tour player, is one of those parents who made that sacrifice. She put down her clubs for her daughter, Grace, and hasn’t looked back. At just 10 months old, Grace started experiencing severe seizures, which were later diagnosed as intractable epilepsy. For Park, that was the tipping point, and she chose to focus on being a full-time mom over continuing her professional golf career.
It wasn’t an easy choice—Park had already made a name for herself on the LPGA Tour, with 16 top-ten finishes under her belt. But when it came to her daughter’s health, the decision was clear. Motherhood came first.
Now, Park is in the other unequal battle – being with Grace and helping her to cope with all the difficulties that epilepsy implies. Although for a while she is able to communicate with the viewers through the result of her playing golf, currently she can let people know what is going on in her life and Grace’s life with epilepsy with the help of Instagram. Only last December Jane revealed much about her mental state. She said, “My mental capacity lately has been very small with insurance renewal stuff, and everyday seizure BS.”
This was of course quite a truthful scene and showed how hard and overwhelming life has been on her. Park has not had it easy, but she has been suffering in silence until now due to the pressure laced on the mental front. She has done such a great job of masking that she can handle it all- but her decision to speak out is a reminder of how difficult this process is for so many moms.
Overall, the ability of mothers like Park and Cheyenne—and so many others—bears credit and commendation for its endurance. Regardless of what gets in their way, they struggle for their kids, and that sort of love and commitment one could only envy.