Seven-week-old McKenna Hovenga was enjoying a day at her father’s softball game in Shell Rock, Iowa, when a sudden accident changed everything.

A softball struck the newborn in the head, fracturing her tiny skull and causing two serious brain bleeds. McKenna was airlifted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where doctors began treating her for frequent seizures.

Scans showed that the ball had struck the front of McKenna’s skull. She required both feeding and breathing support, while doctors used multiple medications in an effort to control the seizures.

According to updates shared by her family, doctors initially focused on stopping the seizures before they could determine what was causing them or better understand the extent of her injuries.

“Right now the goal is to stop the seizures,” one family update explained. “They are not sure of the ‘why’ and won’t be able to determine that until they can get them under control.”

As McKenna remained in the pediatric intensive care unit, her family faced an agonizing period of uncertainty.

“It’s very hard to wait and watch and not know the future,” a family update shared. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing right now.”

Friends, relatives and strangers rallied around the family, offering prayers and financial support for McKenna’s medical care. A fundraising page reportedly raised more than $14,500, while loved ones continued sharing updates through the family’s “Healing for McKenna” Facebook page.

For McKenna’s parents, the situation was especially heartbreaking because their daughter was considered a miracle after they had struggled for three years to conceive.

Now, their only wish is to see their little girl recover.

With her future still uncertain, McKenna remains surrounded by her family’s love and the prayers of countless people hoping the tiny newborn will overcome the devastating injuries she suffered in an instant. 🙏💗