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.”
Shayla continued, saying that Mary Lou “had a better day today, which is great,” but that her mom 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.
In an interview with People, Shayla revealed that Mary Lou, 55, has been in the hospital for a week as she continues to battle a rare form of pneumonia.
Shayla then shared a video offering more detail on her mom’s condition.
The daughter of an American icon is speaking out as her mom fights 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.”
She continued, adding that while Mary Lou is “still fighting” for her life, “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.”
Mary Lou Retton is likely a name you’ve heard before. Back in 1984, Retton made history as a gymnast for Team USA during the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
You likely recall her incredible vault and floor routine which earned her 10s across the board giving her the gold medal over Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo. She went on to become Sports Illustrated’s Sportswoman of the Year and was featured on the Wheaties box.
Sadly, as Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley shared with her fans on her Instagram Story, Retton is now “fighting for her life in the ICU.” Kelly continued, revealing, “My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia.”
“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.”
Kelley has also created a fund, asking people if they can, to help her raise money for the hospital bills that are currently piling up. “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.”
After retiring from gymnastics in 1986, Retton kept a high-profile guest staring in shows like Glee, Baywatch, and season 27 of Dancing With the Stars. It’s unclear how long Retton has been in the hospital.
Retton has four daughters and has been inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
This is a developing story.