By Mark Gray 2:00pm PST, Jan 29, 2024
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Mary Lou Retton was in more dire shape than was initially known during her fall 2023 fight with a rare pneumonia.
In January 2024, the gold medal-winning gymnast who charmed America at the 1984 Olympics spoke about her health, claiming she looked "death in the eyes" while hospitalized and uninsured.
In fact, Mary Lou said, doctors were on the verge of putting her on life support at one point.
"I have so much to look forward to. I'm a fighter and I'm not going to give up. I'm not going to give up," she told Hoda Kotb on the "Today" show on Jan. 8, 2024, while wearing an oxygen nasal cannula.
"I have no idea what the future holds for me. I don't know if I'm going to have lasting issues with my lungs. They don't know. I wish I had answers," Mary Lou added. "But I would never give up. It's not in me."
Keep reading for more details on Mary Lou's condition, what happened, who helped with her fundraiser, why that's now sparked controversy and more…
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Questions about Mary Lou Retton's financial situation began to surface after it was revealed in January 2024 that she gotnearly $2 million in her 2018 divorce. Yet the Olympian said she was uninsured and "couldn't afford" insurance, prompting her family to set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her health care expenses.
DailyMail.com reported that Mary Lou not only got $1,950,597 following her split from husband Shannon Kelley after 27 years of marriage, but she's also "expected to collect around $2 million more in compensation after a legal spat with the manufacturer of her two metal hip replacements."
The GoFundMe ended up topping out at nearly $500,000, but Mary Lou won't say what the money is being used for.
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A few weeks after her hospitalization, Mary Lou Retton took to Instagram for the first time since her daughter revealed her health crisis weeks earlier.
"I'm beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement," Mary Lou, 55, began on Oct. 30, 2023, adding, "I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all!"
She continued, "I'm with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process… When the time is right, I will be sharing more information about my health issues and hope I can help others who may face the same battle as me," she added, signing off with "I love you all."
Keep reading for more…
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Olympic legend Mary Lou Retton was hospitalized and in the ICU while battling a rare form of pneumonia in October 2023. The uninsured former athlete was unable to breathe on her own at the time, daughter McKenna Kelley revealed on a fundraising page.
"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," McKenna explained before asking fans to donate if they could. "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."
After the fundraising page was set up, it far, far exceeded its initial goal of $50,000, raising nearly half a million dollars to help Mary Lou pay for her medical care.
On Oct. 12, McKenna posted an update: "My sisters Skyla, Shayla, Emma and I would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support for our Mom," she wrote on Instagram. "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 continued prayers and positive thoughts for our Mom."
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On Oct. 14, 2023, well over a week after Mary Lou Retton was admitted to the hospital, the Olympian's daughter McKenna Kelley shared an exciting update as her mom's health finally began to improve: "We're thrilled to share some uplifting news," she wrote on Instagram. "Mom's progress is truly remarkable. Prayers have been felt and are being answered. Although she remains in ICU, her path to recovery is steadily progressing. Her fighting spirit is truly shining! Her breathing is becoming stronger, and her reliance on machines is diminishing."
McKenna continued, "Though it's a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening! She's beginning to respond to treatments. Once more, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your overwhelming love and support."
On Oct. 18, though, she had disappointing news to share…
"Basically, at the beginning of this week, we were going on the up-and-up. We were so excited seeing so much progress," Mary Lou's daughter Shayla Kelley said in an Instagram video. "And then yesterday, we had a pretty scary setback. She is still in ICU."
"We're just working through some things as far as her setback goes," Shayla added.
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Mary Lou Retton was a huge star in the early '80s and became a national treasure after becoming the first American woman to win the all-around gold in the 1984 Olympics. She also won two silvers and bronzes that same year. In addition, Mary Lou has been inducted into multiple sports Halls of Fame.
On the fundraising page set up for her medical expenses, the main image shows the former gymnast wearing her gold medal from the Los Angeles games.
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Mary Lou Retton's name still carries some weight. Although the family set a modest goal of $50,000 to help with medical expenses, the SpotFundfundraising page exceeded $250,000 in less than 24 hours and as of Oct. 30, 2023, had surpassed $450,000.
Well over 8,000 people have donated, including Linda McIngvale, the wife of Texas businessmanJim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, who is known for his extravagant sports gambling.Lindadonated $50,000 to Mary Lou's fund.
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Since becoming an Olympic legend, Mary Lou Retton has capitalized on her fame: She appeared on the iconic Wheaties cereal box and also made several TV and movie appearances. In 2018, she competed on "Dancing With the Stars." (She was eliminated after five weeks.)
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Mary Lou Retton's life has not been without its controversy. Back in 2016 when USA Gymnastics was rocked by a sex abuse scandal, a Congressional bill was proposed that sought to protect children in sports from abuse. Although the bill passed and went into effect in 2017, Mary Lou opposed it and even met with late SenatorDianne Feinstein, the bill's sponsor, with hopes of shutting down the Safe Sport Authorization Act.
On Twitter, there was much discussion of the fact that Mary Lou is uninsured, as she's championed Republican political candidates who have traditionally opposed universal health care in the United States.
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A doctor not involved in Mary Lou Retton's care explained pneumonia to ABC.
"Although it was stated that this is a rare form of pneumonia, pneumonia is one of the most common reasons patients get admitted to the hospital," said Dr. Darien Sutton, an emergency physician and ABC News medical correspondent. "Someone isn't able to breathe on their own or isn't able to get enough oxygen and requires additional care that it increases their level of risk and the level of care that they're needing in the hospital."
He continued of the former Olympian, "Given that it's reported that she's needing assistance with breathing, that likely means that she's going to need a higher level of care. And of course, with additional level of care or a high level of acuity, that brings additional costs."
