Olympian Mary Lou Retton battles rare form of pneumonia
The 1984 gold medalist’s daughter says she’s fighting for her life in the intensive care unit with a very rare form of pneumonia.
The gold-medal-winning gymnast and mom of four is 55 years old.
Mary Lou Retton, the American gymnast who became a sports icon when she won Olympic gold in 1984, is “still fighting” as she battles a very rare form of pneumonia,” according to her daughter.
Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, one of Retton’s four daughters, shared in an update on Instagram Wednesday, saying that the Olympian is in a “day by day” fight to regain her health.
“As far as an update goes, she’s still fighting. It’s going to be a day-by-day process,” Schrepfer said in a video message, adding, “She’s been treated with the best of the best professionals here and it has been such a blessing to have their hands on her.”
Retton, 55, has been hospitalized in the intensive care unit for over one week and is “not able to breathe on her own,” according to a fundraising page created for Retton, who is not insured, according to her family.
