Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Lou Retton 'Fighting For Her Life' In ICU With Rare C
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00:00 Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Rettin is fighting for her life.
00:06 On Tuesday, her daughter McKenna Kelly revealed on Instagram that her mom is battling a rare
00:10 form of pneumonia in the ICU.
00:13 Along with sharing the news, she asked her followers to donate to a spot fund account
00:17 her family created to cover the medical costs.
00:20 Quote, "My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting
00:25 for her life.
00:26 She is not able to breathe on her own."
00:30 Although McKenna didn't give too many details about her mom's condition, she did disclose
00:35 that the gymnast has been in the ICU for a week and does not have insurance.
00:39 Quote, "Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details.
00:44 However, I will disclose that she is not insured.
00:47 We ask that if you could help in any way that 1.
00:50 You pray and 2.
00:51 If you could help us with the finances for the hospital bill.
00:54 Anything.
00:55 Absolutely anything would be so helpful for my family and my mom.
00:59 Thank y'all so very much."
01:02 As of Tuesday afternoon, the family had raised more than $24,000 of their $50,000 goal.
01:09 Mary Lou is one of the most famous names in the sport of gymnastics.
01:13 She made history as the first American woman to win the all-around gold at the 1984 Olympics.
01:19 She also won two silver medals and two bronze medals that year.
01:22 Despite having undergone knee surgery a few weeks before the Games, she got perfect 10s
01:27 on the floor and vault.
01:30 After retiring, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.
01:36 After stepping away from the sport, Mary Lou set her sights on Hollywood, making cameos
01:41 on Glee and Baywatch.
01:43 She also appeared on Season 27 of Dancing with the Stars in 2018, where she was eliminated
01:48 during Week 5.
01:50 Head of the Season 27 premiere, Mary Lou and her dancing partner, Sasha Farber, stopped
01:54 by AXS Hollywood, and she revealed why this opportunity came at the perfect time.
02:00 "It really did.
02:02 The universe, God, just really placed it at just the right moment.
02:07 And we had been talking and I told him his biggest challenge of this thing is to help
02:12 me bring out my vulnerability.
02:15 It's been drilled in me, vulnerability is weak, it's weak, it's weak.
02:18 I've been known and taught to just hide it and stuff it."
02:23 "Be tough."
02:24 "Be tough, right.
02:26 And I'm ready.
02:27 I've lost myself in all these years."
02:29 "But how?
02:30 What do you mean by that?"
02:31 "Well, just by society and the pressures and the expectations that were placed on me.
02:35 I mean, I reached fame at such a young age, at 16, and was told what to do, how to say
02:41 it, what to wear.
02:42 I mean, everything was told.
02:43 So it's like, I don't know who I am.
02:45 I'm 50 years old.
02:46 I don't know who I am.
02:48 And this really is, and he is incredible and he's helping me.
02:51 This is my coming out.
02:53 This is kind of a reemergence for me."
02:54 "I love that."
02:55 "And it's awesome.
02:56 I'm going to find my voice."