HOUSTON — The love that Americans have for Mary Lou Retton is very evident in the amount of money her daughter’s fundraiser has collected in just one day. On Wednesday, Retton’s four daughters thanked everyone for the “outpouring of love and support.”
Retton, the gold-medal-winning gymnast who became known as “America’s sweetheart” after the 1984 Olympics, continues “fighting for her life,” according to her daughter McKenna Kelley.
Kelley said her mom is being treated for a “very rare form of pneumonia.”
In a Spotfund.com post Tuesday, Kelley said Retton, who lives in Houston, is not able to breathe on her own and has been in the ICU for more than a week.
“Pneumonia is an infection of your lung where the lung tissue gets inundated with fluid,” UTHealth Houston’s Dr. Pushan Jani said.
He is not Retton’s doctor but said severe cases of pneumonia are relatively rare.
“Most patients get community-acquired pneumonia, also referred to as walking pneumonia but some patients can get a severe form and end up in the ICU,” Pushan explained.
Crowdfunding account for Mary Lou Retton far exceeds goal
“Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured,” Kelley posted. “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.”
When we first posted the story on Tuesday, the Spotfund account had just over $7,000. By noon Wednesday, they had surpassed $250,000, including a $50,000 donation from Houston’s Linda McIngvale, wife and business partner of Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale. The family’s original goal was $50,000 but extended stays in the hospital can easily exceed that for someone without insurance.
Here’s McKenna Kelley’s full update on Wednesday.
“My sisters Skyla, Shayla, Emma and I would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support for our Mom. Mom is in ICU and continues to fight. She is getting incredible medical care! Thank you to all the doctors and nurses! We ask for continued prayers and positive thoughts for our Mom.”
Retton’s biggest honors
Retton was one of the heroes of the 1984 games in Los Angeles where she flipped and vaulted her way to five medals, including a gold for the individual all-around competition. Retton was the first American gymnast ever to win the all-around gold.
Her million-dollar smile quickly made her one of the most popular athletes in the world and little girls all over dreamed of becoming the next Mary Lou.
Retton was Sports Illustrated’s Sportswoman of the Year in ’84 and was featured on the Wheaties box.
More than three decades later, Retton watched proudly as Spring’s Simone Biles dominated the Olympics competition in Rio.
“She is the best on planet earth. She is the best gymnast I’ve ever seen, truly,” Retton told KHOU 11’s Matt Musil in 2016. “The explosiveness, the athleticism, the powerfulness that she has… she’s special.”
She showed Matt and the folks at home her five Olympic medals.
“I mean from ’84 to 2016, we are the dominant force on the globe,” Retton said. “Winning a team competition by eight points, it doesn’t happen. In football terms, it would be like winning by eight touchdowns.”
Retton was inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in 2020 along with former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich and Olympic track star Carl Lewis.
Wednesday night, the Houston Sports Authority shared a statement with KHOU 11:
“We are saddened to hear the news regarding Mary Lou Retton’s recent health complications. Not only is she an Olympic champion whose athletic achievements captivated fans here in Houston and across the nation…but her Hall of Fame energy and spirit have left an impact on everyone she’s met during her amazing life.
“The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority sends our collective thoughts and prayers to Mary Lou and her family.”
Mary Lou Retton’s personal life
Retton retired in Houston, where she had moved from West Virginia to train with Bela and Marla Karolyi who have retired from coaching.
“It was time for them to step down but boy, what a legacy they have created,” Retton said. “I’m so honored and proud to be their first American student and actually win them gold here in this country.”
McKenna Kelley is one of four daughters Retton, now 55, shares with her ex-husband former Longhorn quarterback Shannon Kelley. They quietly divorced in 2018.
McKenna Kelley was a gymnast at LSU. Her oldest sister Shayla competed at Baylor, Skyla competed in gymnastics and cheerleading before attending Texas Tech and their youngest sister Emma was on the University of Arkansas gymnastics team.
Emma also teamed up with her mom to design leotards for Foxy.