Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Mary Lou Retton continues to fight a rare form of pneumonia but her condition is improving, her daughter shared on social media Saturday.
In an Instagram post, Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, the eldest of Retton’s four daughters, called her mother’s progress “truly remarkable.”
“Although she remains in the ICU, her path to recovery is steadily unfolding,” Schrepfer wrote of Retton. “Her fighting spirit is truly shining!
“Her breathing is becoming stronger and her reliance on machines is diminishing.”
McKenna Kelley, another of Retton’s daughters, said last week that Retton was “not able to breathe on her own” and had been in the intensive care unit for more than a week. She asked both for prayers and for donations to a crowdfunding site, saying her mother did not have medical insurance.
As of Saturday afternoon, the Spotfund account had nearly $420,000 in donations.
Retton, 55, captured five medals (one gold, two silver, two bronze) at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She made history by becoming the first American woman to win gold in the individual all-around competition.
“Though it’s a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening,” Schrepfer posted. “She’s responding so well to treatments.”
–Field Level Media