Update: October 19, 2023: Mary Lou Retton has had a setback on her road to recovery.
As her daughter shared in another video on Instagram, “We were so excited, seeing so much progress and then yesterday we had a pretty scary setback. She is still in ICU and we’re just working through some things as far as her setback goes. So I just wanted to give an update there.”.
Mary Lou “had a better day today, which is great,” said Shayla, adding that her mother is “really, really exhausted.”
Update: October 11, 2023: Mary Lou Retton’s daughter Shayla Schrepfer is sharing more details about her mom’s ongoing health battle.
Mary Lou, 55, has been hospitalized for a week while she fights a rare form of pneumonia, according to Shayla in an interview with People.
Then Shayla posted a video with more information about her mother’s situation.
The iconic American’s daughter is coming up while her mother battles for her life. “It’s gonna be a day by day process, and we hope that you guys will respect her boundaries because we want to keep the details between her and our family right now.”
Mary Lou is “still fighting” for her life, the woman continued, but “She’s been treated by the best of the best professionals here and it has been such a blessing to have their hands on her, so please continue the prayers and we cannot thank you enough for the love and support that you guys have shown.”
You’ve probably heard of Mary Lou Retton before. Retton made Olympic gymnastics history in 1984 when competing for Team USA in Los Angeles.
As you probably remember, she won the gold medal over Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo thanks to her amazing vault and floor routine, which got her 10s across the board. Later, she was named Sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, and her picture appeared on a Wheaties box.
Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley revealed with her followers on her Instagram Story that her mother is currently “fighting for her life in the ICU.” “My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia,” Kelly said.
“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 not insured.”
In addition, Kelley has established a fund and is requesting donations from anyone who is able to do so in order to assist her pay her mounting medical debt. “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.”
Retton continued to maintain a high profile by appearing as a guest star on shows like Glee, Baywatch, and season 27 of Dancing With the Stars after quitting gymnastics in 1986. How long Retton has been in the hospital is unknown.
Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and has four daughters.
This story is still developing.
