- Mary Lou Retton was hospitalized and “fighting for her life”
- She won five medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles
- provides the latest international sports news
U.S. Olympian Mary Lou Retton has returned home after a “terrible setback” while battling a rare form of pneumonia, her daughter said Monday.
Retton was hospitalized earlier this month alongside her daughter McKenna Kelley and revealed that her mother was “fighting for her life.”
But Kelley was now able to share an extremely positive update about the former gymnast.
“Mom is HOME and in recovery mode.” “We still have a long road to recovery ahead of us, but baby steps,” she wrote on Instagram.
“We are overwhelmed by the love and support from everyone.” “Gratitude doesn’t scratch the surface of our hearts.”
Mary Lou Retton has suffered a “pretty scary setback” in her battle with a rare form of pneumonia
The 55-year-old’s daughter reported again about her condition on Monday afternoon
“Thank you Jesus, thank you doctors and nurses, thank you to this loving community of support,” she ended the statement.
Retton’s family had set up a spotfund page to help cover medical bills, which topped $450,000 last week – the goal was $50,000.
Retton, 55, won five medals (one gold, two silver and two bronze) at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
She made history by becoming the first American woman to win gold in the individual all-around.
Another daughter of hers, Shayla Kelly Schrepfer, shared on Instagram last Wednesday evening that there had been a “scary setback.”
“Basically, we were so excited earlier this week seeing so much progress, and then yesterday we experienced a pretty scary setback,” she wrote.
“She’s still in the ICU and we’re just working through some things regarding her setback.”
In the same year, in addition to her gold medal, she won two Olympic silver and bronze medals
Her daughter, Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, reported on her mother’s condition
“I just wanted to give an update there. She’s had a better day today, which is great – she’s really exhausted.
“Thanks again for the support.” “I get so many messages and emails and it’s so great to see that people love them.”
Previously, Schrepfer, the eldest of Retton’s four daughters, called her mother’s progress “truly remarkable.”
“Although she remains in the intensive care unit, her road to recovery is progressing steadily,” Schrepfer wrote of Retton. “Your fighting spirit really shines!”
“Their breathing becomes stronger and their dependence on machines decreases.”
Previously, her other daughter, McKenna Kelley, said Retton was “unable to breathe on his own” and had been in the intensive care unit for more than a week.
After her retirement, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
Three years ago, she became the first woman to be inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame.