Mary Lou Retton is on the way to recovery.
In early October, the Olympic gymnast‘s daughter, McKenna Kelley, shared that her mother was checked into the intensive care unit. She was suffering from a very rare form of pneumonia that kept her from breathing on her own and resulted in her fighting for her life.
In an Oct. 14 update, Kelley, who is also a gymnast, said that her mother was making a lot of progress despite still being in the ICU. On Monday, she shared another update, noting that Retton was home and “in recovery mode.”
“We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps,” she wrote on Instagram. “We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone. Grateful doesn’t scrape the surface of the posture of our hearts. Thank you Jesus, thank you doctors & nurses, thank you to this loving community of support.”
When Kelley first announced Retton was in the hospital, she didn’t share too many details but did explain that her mother didn’t have any insurance, so she began a Spotfund page to collect funds for the medical bills. She asked for $50,000 and, as of Monday night, they have raised $459,304.
Retton began gymnastics at a young age and went on to compete in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where she made history. She became the first American to win an Olympic all-around gold medal, as well as two silver medals and two bronze. That year, she was also named Sports Illustrated‘s Sportswoman of the Year.
She retired from the sport in 1986 and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997. Following her retirement, Retton worked in television and became a motivational speaker.
