Mary Lou Retton continues fighting the good fight.
The former Olympic gymnast is battling a rare form of pneumonia and one of her daughters gave fans an update on Mary Lou’s current condition. In a candid Instagram video on Oct. 10, Shayla Schrepfer told followers that her famous mom is still on the road to recovery.
“She’s still fighting,” Shayla said, explaining why she and her loved ones are choosing their public comments carefully.
“It’s going to be a day-by-day process, and we hope that you guys will respect her boundaries as we want to keep the details between her and our family right now,” she added.
Shayla went on to praise Mary Lou’s medical team and shared gratitude on behalf of her and her three sisters, saying they are all “overwhelmed” with the outpouring of well wishes.
“We didn’t even realize that there’s so many people out there that love her just as much as we do. And it’s been a really hard time for our family, so just seeing that people love her like that, and are showing her that support, it’s just meant the world to us and to her,” Shayla continued.
Shayla’s sister, McKenna Kelley, spoke out on Mary Lou’s illness earlier this week, revealing in an Instagram story on Oct. 10 that the retired athlete has been in the ICU for more than a week and “cannot breathe on her own.”
McKenna included information for a SpotFund account she and her family created to help cover medical costs, explaining that Mary Lou does not have insurance.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the page had raised nearly $280,000, far surpassing its $50,000 goal.
Mary Lou, 55, remains one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time. She made history as the first American woman to win the all-around gold at the 1984 Olympics, also taking home two silver medals and two bronze medals at that year’s Games.
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