Former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton has returned home from the hospital after a weekslong stay for a rare form of pneumonia, according to her daughter McKenna Lane Kelley’s Instagram update.
“Mom is HOME & in recovery mode,” Retton’s daughter wrote on social media. “We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps.”
Kelley’s most recent post didn’t specify when the athlete was released from the hospital, but her Oct. 14 update described “remarkable” progress with Retton remaining in the ICU.
“We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone. Grateful doesn’t scrape the surface of the posture of our hearts,” Kelley continued. “Thank you Jesus, thank you doctors & nurses, thank you to this loving community of support.”
Retton was hospitalized with a form of pneumonia that restricted her ability to breathe by herself. Kelley created a spotfund page to fundraise for Retton’s condition and raise awareness of the health scare.
“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,” Kelley wrote. “However, I will disclose that she is not insured.”
Since the establishment of the page, $459,304 was raised, greatly surpassing the $50,000 goal.
Retton was the first American woman to win a gold medal in the all-around competition in 1984, and she took home two silver and two bronze medals in that same year. In addition to her athletic career, the American icon in gymnastics has also appeared in television and film projects such as “Baywatch,” “Scrooged” and “Glee.” She also competed on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2018.
