Mary Lou Retton fears she’ll ‘never be the same’ after near-death pneumonia battle: ‘My lungs are so scarred’
Gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton has spoken out about the devastating effects of her battle with pneumonia, claiming: ‘I will never be the same again.’
Retton, who won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, was rushed to hospital in October after her neighbor found her lying on the floor suffering from a rare form of the disease.
After the 56-year-old was admitted to intensive care and fought for her life, her four daughters said goodbye to their mother. Doctors feared she would not survive the night.
Fortunately, Retton ultimately survived and was sent home by the doctors after a few days.
But after such a major health crisis, the former Olympic hero fears she will never properly recover from the damage to her lungs.
Mary Lou Retton has spoken out about the devastating effects of her battle with pneumonia
“It’s been really hard,” she said in an emotional interview with People. ‘My lungs are so scarred. It will be a lifelong recovery.
“My physical condition was all I had and it was taken away from me. It’s shameful.”
Retton believes she has recovered from the horrific ordeal because “God wasn’t ready” for her, but she admits she is incredibly lucky to be alive.
“Girl, I should have died,” she added. “The doctors told them [daughters] to come and say goodbye.
“They prayed for me and McKenna said, ‘Mama, it’s okay, you can go.’
“I didn’t have a great relationship with my mother, but I can’t imagine what it was like to see their mother on her deathbed.”
Retton, who won gold at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, was hospitalized in October with a rare form of pneumonia
The Olympic legend’s four daughters created a SpotFund account while she was in intensive care
While their mother was in the hospital battling a rare form of pneumonia, Retton’s four daughters set up a SpotFund account to help pay her medical bills, ultimately raising an estimated $500,000 in donations.
However, the family quickly came under fire for refusing to disclose where the donations would go, and Retton’s claim that he had no insurance was also questioned by some.
“They didn’t deserve that,” Retton said in May when asked about the negative reactions to her daughters.
“They were just trying to take care of me. I don’t care about the naysayers. There are trolls everywhere. That’s what makes us America. Everyone has an opinion, but it is what it is.”