HOUSTON, TX — A Gymnastics Olympic World Champion is currently in a battle with pneumonia. Mary Lou Retton, an Olympic gold medalist for the United States, is currently hospitalized in Houston. The Houston Chronicle reported that her daughter, McKenna Kelley, said her mother is “fighting for her life” and “unable to breathe on her own.”
Retton has been in the intensive care unit for over a week. Kelley said her mother does not have medical insurance. She started a fundraising campaign for Retton, 55, to raise money for medical expenses on spotfund.com. Kelley set a $50,000 goal, and as of Wednesday morning, donations have already surpassed $249,000.
On the post, McKenna Kelley wrote, “Hey everyone! On behalf of my sisters and I, we need y’all’s help.”
“My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. She is not able to breathe on her own,” Kelley continued. “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.”
Mary Lou Retton
(Credit: forbes.com)
“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,” Kelley said. “Anything, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!”
Mary Lou Retton rose to fame after she won the gold medal in the overall in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The gymnast also claimed four other medals, two silvers and two bronze, at the ‘84 Olympics. The West Virginia Native retired in Houston, where she still currently resides.
Retton was inducted into the USOC Olympic Hall of Fame in 1985, the International Olympics Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
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