Olympic champion Mary Lou Retton is making “remarkable progress” as she is recovering from a rare form of pneumonia, her daughters said Saturday.
Retton, 55, who won the all-around women’s gymnastics title at the 1984 Summer Olympics, had been in an intensive care unit for more than a week when her family announced her condition on Oct. 10, The New York Times reported.
On Saturday, Retton’s daughters, McKenna Lane Kelley and Shayla Schrepfer, posted an update on Instagram.
“We’re thrilled to share some uplifting updates! Mom’s progress is truly remarkable!” Kelley and Schrepfer wrote. “Prayers have been felt and have been answered.”
“Although she remains in the ICU, her path to recovery is steadily unfolding. Her fighting spirit is truly shining! Her breathing is becoming stronger, and her reliance on machines is diminishing,” Kelley and Schrepfer wrote. “Though it’s a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening! She’s responding so well to treatments.
“Once more, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for your overwhelming love and support.”
Kelley had said that her mother was critically ill with a “very rare form of pneumonia,” according to a crowd-funding page she started to raise money for hospital bills,” NBC News reported. Kelley said her mother did not have health insurance.
Although Retton lives in Houston, it was unclear where she is being treated, the news outlet reported.
Retton was nicknamed “America’s Sweetheart” after her performance at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Reuters reported.
She became the first U.S. woman to win the all-around gold medal or any individual Olympic medal in gymnastics, the Times reported. Going into the final rotation of the competition, Retton trailed Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo by five-hundredths of a point and needed a perfect 10 on the vault to win.
Retton came through with a perfect score.
Retton won five medals in Los Angeles, including two silvers (team and vault) and two bronzes (uneven bars and floor exercise), the Times reported.
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