Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, shared an update on Wednesday about her mom’s health battle after revealing that Retton was dealing with a rare form of pneumonia.
The daughter of the famous 55-year-old gymnast thanked everyone for their support after revealing that Retton remained in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she’s “fighting for her life” and asked for help to cover hospital bills because she doesn’t have health insurance.
“My sisters Kyla, Shyla, Emma and I would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support for our mom,” Kelley wrote on Instagram.
“Mom is in the ICU and continues to fight,” she added. “She is getting incredible medical care! Thank you to all the doctors and nurses.”
After being admitted to the intensive care unit and spending over a week in the hospital with a rare type of pneumonia, Mary Lou Retton, Olympic gymnast and gold medalist, is receiving top medical care and “still fighting,” her daughters said Wednesday. https://t.co/Wj1aX4BI8G
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 12, 2023
She closed her post by asking for “continued prayers and positive thoughts for our mom.”
Kelley previously revealed that Retton was struggling to breathe.
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“My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life,” the message read on a crowdfunding site called SpotFund. “She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now. Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details.”
“However, I will disclose that she [is] not insured,” the message added. “We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill. ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!”
The fundraiser was set with a goal of $50,000 and has already well surpassed that, with the fundraiser at more than $375,000 at the time of this publication.
In 1984, Retton made history at the Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles when she became the first American woman to win an individual all-around gold medal, People magazine noted. Her victory led to her being named “Sportswoman of the Year” by Sports Illustrated magazine, and she also famously appeared on the Wheaties box.
