There's a Good Update on Mary Lou Retton

Gymnast is home, recovering, after intense battle with pneumonia
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 13, 2023 1:30 AM CDT
Updated Oct 24, 2023 12:30 AM CDT
Mary Lou Retton's DWTS Partner Has an Update on Gymnast
Mary Lou Retton reacts to applause after her performance at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles on Aug. 3, 1984.   (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis, File)
UPDATE Oct 24, 2023 12:30 AM CDT

After nearly two weeks in the ICU battling a rare and life-threatening form of pneumonia, Mary Lou Retton has been discharged, the BBC reports. In an Instagram update, Retton's daughter, McKenna Kelley, said Monday, "Mom is HOME & in recovery mode." She thanked the doctors and nurses who cared for the iconic gymnast as well as her community of fans for all the support. "We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps," she wrote. A crowdfunding campaign for Retton, who is uninsured, had reached nearly $460,000 by Monday.

Oct 13, 2023 1:30 AM CDT

Mary Lou Retton's Dancing With the Stars partner says he's been in communication with the iconic gymnast and that while she's in the midst of a massive health struggle, he ultimately believes she will pull through. "I've been speaking to her today," Sasha Farber tells Entertainment Tonight. "I've been talking to her today and she's fighting. She kind of wants to give up, but I'm sending her videos of her dancing and I'm telling her, 'There's only one Mary Lou Retton. You've got this!'" He says the two have stayed close friends since they danced together during the reality competition series' 27th season.

"She's a fighter. She's going to be great," the DWTS pro continued. "I know her very well. And she's like family to me and she's a fighter. ... She's strong. She's strong." Meanwhile, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee tells USA Today that Retton, whose family is crowdfunding to pay her medical bills, will receive financial assistance from the committee. "The USOPC supports the United States Olympians & Paralympians Relief Fund to offer aid to US Olympians and Paralympians facing significant hardships," a spokesperson says. "Upon learning of Mary Lou's condition, we immediately took action to expedite the application process for her family to receive assistance. We are currently working through the necessary details in real-time and have reached out to Mary Lou's family to offer our assistance." (More Mary Lou Retton stories.)

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