Former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton
Olympic gymnastics icon Mary Lou Retton, who gained fame following her success in the 1984 Olympics, is currently battling a rare form of pneumonia in the hospital, as disclosed by her daughter through a social media post on Tuesday.
Retton's daughter, McKenna Lane Kelley, said that her mother "is not able to breathe on her own" and that she has been "fighting for her life" in the intensive care unit for more than a week.
"Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured," McKenna Kelley said in an Instagram story.
She added, "We ask that if you could help in any way, 1) you pray! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill."
According to The New York Times, McKenna Lane Kelley, who herself was a gymnast at Louisiana State University, did not share more specific information about her mother's condition, though she said that her pneumonia was "a very rare form." It was not clear what hospital Retton was in.
Following her victory in the all-around women's gymnastics competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Mary Lou Retton swiftly rose to become one of the most beloved athletes in the United States.
At the event, Retton became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal or any individual Olympic medal in gymnastics. Retton scored a perfect 10, and she won five medals, including two silvers for team and vault and two bronzes for uneven bars and floor exercise.
Her remarkable success in sports led to her being idolized by young people, ultimately cementing her status as a global gymnastics legend.