Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton had a close call with death last fall. The 55-year-old retired gymnast spoke about a serious bout of pneumonia, which made her face “death in the eyes” in the first interview since her sickness.
She sat with NBC TODAY’s Honda Kotb in her home in Boerne, Texas, where she spoke on her illness. She had a nasal tube, which helped her breathe with an oxygen tube. According to Retton, her last bout with pneumonia could have killed her. Thankfully, a neighbor noticed her car door was left open in the driveway.
The neighbor found it weird and decided to check in on her. She found her lying on her bedroom floor, unable to move. Retton said, “She came in the house, she knows my code and saw me and found me and pretty much saved my life.”
Pneumonia is a very serious condition that has claimed the lives of many, especially older people. It is a lung infection that bacteria, viruses, or fungi can cause. It can cause air sacs in the lungs to fill with fluid or pus, leading to a cough, fever, fatigue, and difficulty breathing.
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The condition could be viral or bacterial, and the latter is more severe and difficult to treat. Retton recognizes how lucky she is and now has a more positive outlook on life. “I mean, when you face death in the eyes, I have so much to look forward to,” she said.
She added: “I’m a fighter, and I’m not going to give up. I’m not going to give up. I have no idea what the future holds for me. I don’t know if I’m going to have lasting issues with my lungs. They don’t know. I wish I had answers. But I would never give up. It’s not in me.”
Usually, Retton is very private about her personal life, but this was different. She sat with her eldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, and described her struggles with the illness. “I’m very private, and to come out and talk about it” is difficult, she said.
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“Usually my interviews are, ‘Oh, yes — it felt great to win the Olympics,’ you know? This is different. This is serious, and this is life, and I am so grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support.”
Initially, the public did not know about her condition. However, her daughter, McKenna Lane Kelley, launched a crowdfunding page to raise funds to cover her hospital bills. “I couldn’t afford it, I couldn’t afford it, I couldn’t afford it. But who would even know that this was going to happen to me? That’s the bottom line. I couldn’t afford it,” Retton said.
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As the first American woman to win an Olympic individual all-around gold in 1984, it was surprising that she didn’t have medical insurance or a good financial status. Thankfully, the funding has reached about $459,000 as of early 2024.
She received proper treatment, and they discharged her in late October. She returned to her home with a renewed sense of hope for life. “Life goes on. Things happen. I’m all set now,” she said with a smile.
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