Mary Lou Retton Update: ‘Dancing With The Stars’ Alum & Olympic Champ Back “Home & In Recovery Mode” After Hospitalization
Mary Lou Retton is making progress in her health after being hospitalized for a rare form of pneumonia. The Olympic champion and Dancing with the Stars alum is now back home and recovering.
“Mom is HOME & in recovery mode,” Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley said in a statement posted on Instagram. “We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps.”
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The statement continued, “We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone. Grateful doesn’t scrape the surface of the posture of our hearts. Thank you Jesus, thank you doctors & nurses, thank you to this loving community of support.”
It was Kelley who confirmed that her mother had been hospitalized and was in ICU “fighting for her life.”
“She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now,” Kelley shared on Oct. 11. “Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured.”
Kelley set up a fundraiser on behalf of her mother and the outpour of support flowed through. The initial goal was to raise $50,000 but after Retton’s story was widely reported on by media outlets, the donors grew exponentially. Currently, the fundraiser stands at over $450K from over 8K donors that have participated.
The initial diagnosis for Retton was grim but Kelly shared a health update on Oct. 14 that was uplifting.
“Mom’s progress is truly remarkable. Prayers have been felt and are being answered,” she wrote at the time. “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.”
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