Mary Lou Retton, an Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast and former Dancing with the Stars contestant, has been hospitalized and in is the ICU.
Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, shared on Instagram a link to crowdsource funds for her mother, who is suffering from “a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life,” she said.
“She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now,” Kelley shared. “Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she not insured.”
Kelley continued: “We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill. ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my family and my mom. Thank y’all so very much!”
The fundraiser had a set goal of $50,000, and as of this writing, it had more than 1,100 donors who had contributed more than $58K.
Retton made history at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles when she became the first American gymnast to win an individual all-around gold medal. Even more impressive was that five weeks prior to the global competition, she had undergone knee surgery and was able to recover just in time.
The athlete would go on to win four additional medals at the same Olympic games: silver in the team competition and vault and bronze in the floor exercise and uneven bars.
Retton would be named Sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated and appeared on the Wheaties cereal box and in commercials, becoming its first spokeswoman. She would retire in 1986.
In 2018, Retton was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, where she was partnered with Sash Farber. She would place ninth place, being eliminated in Week 6.
