(DailyDig.com) – Mary Lou Retton, a gymnastics star who won five Olympic medals, has returned home after her family disclosed earlier that she was struggling for her life due to a dangerous type of pneumonia.
On October 23, one of Retton’s daughters, McKenna Kelley, informed the public that her mother was at home and doing well. They currently have a long way to go on her path to recovery. The outpouring of love and encouragement they have received is overwhelming. She expressed gratitude to Jesus, the nurses and physicians, as well as her mother’s supportive friends.
This news came only days after another of Retton’s daughters, Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, revealed that their mother had experienced a frightening relapse while still in the ICU. Schrepfer basically declared everything to be OK at the start of the week. They were overjoyed to see how far they’d come. And then there was a frightening setback. She would not provide any more details on the setback, but she did note that Retton was quite tired.
After learning that the former Olympic athlete did not have health insurance, Retton’s loved ones set up a contribution website earlier in October. The site soliciting donations reported that Retton has a rare kind of pneumonia and is in a battle for her life. She was unable to take a breath without assistance. She has been in intensive care for more than a week. She is not insured, but other information was withheld to protect her privacy.
Since then, over 8,300 donors have contributed approximately $450,000, well surpassing the modest target of $50,000. The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) also offered assistance.
The title of “America’s Sweetheart” was given to Retton after her gold medal performance in gymnastics during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She became the initial American female to win an Olympic all-around championship at the age of 16, thanks to perfect scores of 10 on the vault and floor exercise.
In all, she would end the competition with five medals: two silver, two bronze, and a gold.
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