Former Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton Breaks Silence On ICU Health Scare

Former American Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is on the road to recovery!

The gold-winning athlete had been fighting for her life in the ICU without any health insurance, which quickly gained attention on social media. Fortunately, it looks like she is back at home!

McKenna Kelly, the daughter of Mary Lou Retton, took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday, October 10, to reveal that her mother was fighting a “very rare form of pneumonia” and was “fighting for her life” in the ICU.

She created a Spotfund page to finance her mother’s hospital stay, which received over $50,000 dollars from hundreds of donors. “My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life,” she wrote in the plea. “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.”

She went on to say, “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!”

As on Monday, October 30, she has received $459,324 from 8,319 donors. Many fans donated small amounts, but one anonymous donor gave $200, writing, “Watching you perform and win in the Olympics was a gift! As a young girl, seeing someone so humble and gracious when you received your medals was inspiring. We are holding you close in our hearts and prayers.”

On Monday, October 30, Mary Lou Retton took to Instagram to let her fans know that she was grateful for their words of support as she battled for her life in the ICU.

“I’m beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement. I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all!” she wrote. “I’m with my family continuing to slowly recover and staying positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process.”

“I appreciate everyone’s respect of my privacy at this time,” she continued. “When the time is right, I will be sharing more information about my health issues and hope I can help others who face the same battle as me. I love you all.”

Mary Lou Retton made history in the world of gymnastics. In 1984, she became the first American to win an individual all-around gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, which was hosted in Los Angeles, California. The accomplishment was made even more impressive by the fact that she had undergone knee surgery mere weeks before competing.

The star athlete scored perfect tens on the floor and vault and managed to beat out Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo by only 0.05 points to seize victory for the USA. In addition to her record-breaking gold medal, she also took home silver medals in the vault and team events. She claimed bronze medals in the uneven bars and the floor.

She was named Sports Illustrated's “Sportswoman of the Year” as a result of her accomplishment and was even featured on a box of Wheaties sold at the time. The following year, she won the American Cup all-around competition for the first time before she made the decision to retire in 1986.

Mary Lou Retton was introduced into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997 and had a park and street named for her in her hometown of Fairview, West Virginia.

Retton, who is divorced, is also the mother of four daughters: Shayla, Skyla, Emma, and McKenna. McKenna followed in her mom's footsteps and competed as a gymnast for Louisiana State University.