Mary Lou Retton Home From Hospital Amid Pneumonia Battle
“We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps.”
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
After weeks spent battling pneumonia in a Texas ICU, Mary Lou Retton is finally home!
One of Retton’s four daughters, McKenna Kelley, provided an update on social media Monday, revealing that the legendary Olympic gymnast is now in "recovery mode."
"Mom is HOME and in recovery mode. We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps," McKenna wrote. "We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone. Grateful doesn’t scrape the surface of the posture of our hearts."
She continued, "Thank you Jesus, thank you doctors and nurses, thank you to this loving community of support."
News of Retton’s release from the hospital came just a few days after her oldest daughter, Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, said that their mother had suffered a “pretty scary setback.”
McKenna first was the first to share that Retton, 55, had been diagnosed with a rare form of pneumonia. The former LSU gymnast took to Instagram earlier this month to announce that the matriarch was “fighting for her life” and unable to breathe on her own.
"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,” Shayla said in a subsequent Instagram video.
“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,” she added, “so please continue the prayers and we cannot thank you enough for the love and support that you guys have shown.”
Born in Fairmont, West Virginia, Retton was just 16 years old when she became the first American woman to win the all-around title at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A Houston resident since the 80s, Retton shares daughters Shayla, McKenna, Skyla, and Emma with her ex-husband, retired Texas Longhorns quarterback Shannon Kelley.
McKenna revealed via a Spotfund fundraiser that the gold medal winner does not have health insurance. Fans quintupled the family’s $50,000 fundraising goal in less than 24 hours.
The family has asked for continued prayers for Retton’s recovery.
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