Legendary gymnast Mary Lou Retton recovering at home after being hospitalized with pneumonia, daughter says
Olympic gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton is out of the hospital following a weekslong serious health scare, according to her daughter.
The 55-year-old legend, who captured American hearts in 1984 when she was the first US gymnast to win the Olympic gymanastics all-around competition, is recovering at home, her daughter McKenna Kelley said Monday in an Instagram post.
Twelve days ago, Retton’s family announced she had a rare form of pneumonia that made her unable to breathe on her own and left her fighting for her life. Kelley started an online fundraiser on behalf of Retton’s four daughters to help support the medical costs, noting that Retton is uninsured.
Retton made “remarkable” progress in the hospital, according to her family, which didn’t specify Monday when she was released. Retton, who in 2018 was on the ABC hit show “Dancing with the Stars,” still has a long recovery road, Kelley said.
Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that can cause the lungs to fill with fluid, with symptoms that can range from mild to life threatening. Adults older than 65, children younger than 5 and those with other medical conditions are most at risk. The family did not specify the type of rare pneumonia diagnosis.
Retton was dubbed “America’s Sweetheart” after winning five medals during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She parlayed that into appearances in movies, TV shows, ads and on the front of boxes of Wheaties.
She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
CNN’s Lauren Mascarenhas, Jacob Lev and David Close contributed to this report.
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