Olympic legend Mary Lou Retton, 55, fighting for her life in hospital with rare form of pneumonia, the former gymnast’s daughter announces: ‘Please help my mom continue to fight’
- Retton’s daughter opened a SpotFund account to help cover medical costs
- Her mother made history by winning the all-around gold at the 1984 Olympics
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Olympic gold-winning gymnast Mary Lou Retton is currently ‘fighting for her life’ in an ICU with a rare form of pneumonia, her daughter has announced.
McKenna Kelley shared the troubling news on her Instagram story along with a SpotFund account she began to help cover her mother’s medical expenses.
“Please help my mom keep fighting,” Kelley wrote. ‘Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured.
‘We ask that if you can help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you can help us with finances for the hospital bill.’
Retton, 55, already made history in 1984 as the first American woman to win the all-around gold at the Olympics, while she also won two silvers and a bronze in the same year.
Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton (left) is fighting for her life in an ICU, her daughter (right) announced
Retton made history as the first American woman to win all-around gold at the 1984 Olympics
Her daughter, McKenna Kelley, created a SpotFund account to cover medical expenses
After her retirement, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
And three years ago, she became the first woman elected to the Houston Sports Hall of Fame.
Retton, who once made a cameo in ‘Baywatch’ along with other movies and TV shows, even has a road and park named after her in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia.
She also served on the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under former President George W. Bush.
Kelley revealed that the gymnastics legend is unable to breathe on her own due to the rare form of pneumonia in the ICU, where she has been for more than a week.
“ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful to my family and my mom,” she added. “Thank you very much to all of you!”
The fundraising goal is set at $50,000 and has 109 donors at the time of writing, raising nearly $8,000.