Legendary American gymnast Mary Lou Retton has been released from the hospital and is home but still has a “long road” ahead of her to recover, one of her daughters says in a new Instagram post.
McKenna Lane Kelley, one of Retton’s three daughters, wrote in a Monday post that her mother was discharged from the ICU and the hospital after she was admitted for a rare form of pneumonia that had threatened her life.
“Mom is HOME & in recovery mode,” Kelley wrote. “We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps.”
Throughout Retton’s multi-week stint in the hospital, Kelley and her sisters have thanked fans for the outpouring of prayers and notes, saying it has made a difference. Kelley again thanked fans in her Monday post.
“We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone,” Kelley wrote. “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.”
Retton was a star at the 1984 Summer Olympics, winning a gold, two silvers, and two bronzes, including the individual all-around title.
An online fundraiser was set up for Retton, who is uninsured. With a $50,000 goal, it had brought in $459,000 as of Tuesday. Kelley disclosed in a note on the website that her mom, at the time, could not breathe on her own and was “fighting for her life.”
“She’s been in the ICU for over a week now. Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured,” the note said. “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.”
Photo Courtesy: ©Getty Images/Robin Marchant / Stringer
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Related podcast:
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Salem Web Network and Salem Media Group.