Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton recently suffered a "scary setback" in her battle with a rare form of pneumonia, but her daughter shared a positive update Monday. Although Retton is still not 100% healthy, she was finally able to go home.
"Mom is HOME & in recovery mode. We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps," McKenna Kelly, Retton's daughter, wrote in an Instagram post. "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."
This was a great update, as just last week it seemed Retton had taken a bad turn when daughter Shayla Kelley Schrepfer posted a video to Instagram saying there had been a setback.
"We were so excited, seeing so much progress and then yesterday, we had a pretty scary setback," Schrepfer said. "She is still in ICU, and we're just working through some things as far as her setback goes."
Schrepfer didn't reveal exactly what happened, but Retton had a "better day" last Wednesday and was "really, really exhausted."
Earlier this month, Retton was "fighting for her life," according to Kelley. Kelley had posted a fundraising campaign for her mother, and the family received an overwhelming amount of financial support.
In the post, Kelley said Retton was in the ICU with a rare form of pneumonia, and she was not able to breathe on her own. As Retton battled to stay alive, Kelley asked for financial support for her mother, who is currently without insurance.
"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 wrote in her fundraising post. "ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y'all so very much!"
The campaign has already raised over $459,000, which is more than nine times the original goal of $50,000. That money has come from over 8,300 individual donors, including one who donated $50,000, and the fundraiser has been shared 1,800 times so far.
On Oct. 11, as donations for her mother continued to flow in, Kelley posted on Instagram once again. This time, she thanked everyone for the support as Retton keeps fighting with the help of the medical staff.
"My sisters Skyla, Shayla, Emma and I would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support for our Mom.
"Mom is in ICU and continues to fight. She is getting incredible medical care! Thank you to all the doctors and nurses!
"We ask for for continued prayers and positive thoughts for our mom."
Retton, just 55 years old, is a gymnastics legend. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Retton won a gold medal in the all-round, silver medals in the team event and vault, and she won bronze in the uneven bars and floor exercise.
Retton retired from gymnastics in 1986, and she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
After her career on the floor, Retton received roles in numerous television shows and movies. She also went on to serve on the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports during George W. Bush's administration.
