Mary Lou Retton suffers ‘scary setback’ in fight against pneumonia, daughter says
U.S. gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton remains in intensive care after suffering “a pretty scary setback” in her recovery from pneumonia, according to her daughter.
Shayla Schrepfer, the oldest of Retton’s four daughters, said in a video posted Wednesday night on Instagram that her 55-year-old mother “had a better day today” following the setback Tuesday.
“Basically, at the beginning of this week, we were ... so excited. Seeing so much progress,” Schrepfer said. “And then yesterday, we had a pretty scary setback. She is still in ICU and we’re just working through some things as far as her setback goes, so I just wanted to give an update there. She had a better day today, which is great, just really, really exhausted. She is really exhausted.”
The family of Olympic gymnastics champion Mary Lou Retton says she is making ‘remarkable’ progress in her battle with a rare form of pneumonia.
Retton became a national sensation during the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, winning five medals overall and becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the all-around competition.
On Oct. 10, Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, revealed on Instagram that her mother was “fighting for her life” in intensive care after contracting “a very rare form of pneumonia.”
“She is not able to breathe on her own,” wrote Kelley, who added that her mother did not have medical insurance.
Kelley launched a fundraising campaign to help pay for her mother’s medical expenses. It has raised more than $450,000.
Four days after her initial post, Kelley posted an update, writing that Retton was making “remarkable” progress, her breathing was becoming stronger and her “path to recovery is steadily progressing.”
Until about a year before the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics few people other than devoted gymnastics fans knew who Mary Lou Retton was.
“Witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening,” Kelley wrote. “She’s beginning to respond to treatments.”
Schrepfer said in her video that although her mother had a better day Wednesday following her setback, Retton is “just really, really exhausted.”
She also offered her thanks for the outpouring of support her mom has received.
“It’s just so great to see people love on her,” Schrepfer said.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
