Is Mary Lou Retton Getting Better? Inside the Olympian's Health Battle
Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton has been hospitalized since early October. The decorated Olympic gymnast's family has kept her condition relatively private, but did reveal that she's fighting a rare and severe form of pneumonia.
Retton, the first American to win a gold medal in the gymnastics all-around at the Olympics, does not have health insurance, meaning that her medical care is likely very expensive, and her daughters have been accepting donations to fund it.
Here's everything to know about Mary Lou Retton's medical condition so far.
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Is Mary Lou Retton getting better?
She was, and hopefully she will continue to do so—but on Oct. 18, 2023, her oldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, said that Retton suffered a "scary setback" in her recovery efforts.
"We were so excited, seeing so much progress and then yesterday we had a pretty scary setback. She is still in ICU and we're just working through some things as far as her setback goes. So I just wanted to give an update there," Schrepfer said in an Instagram video. Schrepfer added that while her mother was "really, really exhausted," "She had a better day today, which is great."
Related: Why Mary Lou Retton Is 'Fighting for Her Life'
What is Mary Lou Retton's condition?
Retton is reportedly suffering from a rare form of pneumonia, the exact type and details of which have been kept private.
On Oct. 18, her daughters revealed that she suffered a setback in her recovery after initially showing improvement.
Days prior, they posted an update on Instagram saying that Retton's breathing was "getting stronger" and that she was relying less on machines and "responding so well to treatment."
Why doesn't Mary Lou Retton have insurance?
The larger answer is because the United States is one of the only countries in the developed world without a government-based universal healthcare plan. In Retton's specific case, it may well be a matter of simply choosing not to have health insurance, as well as not having a full-time employer to provide any subsidies for it, or simply an accidental lapse in coverage. Neither she nor her family have commented on the reasons why she doesn't have health insurance, and they've been crowdfunding to pay for her medical care.
Related: Mary Lou Retton's Dancing With the Stars Partner Shares Health Update
What are Mary Lou Retton's health problems?
Right now, Retton is battling pneumonia and is in the intensive care unit for treatment.
What pneumonia does Mary Lou Retton have?
Retton's specific pneumonia diagnosis hasn't been disclosed publicly, though her daughters have said it's both a "rare" and severe type of the illness.
At what age did Mary Lou Retton undergo a hip replacement?
Retton had a hip replacement when she was 37 years old.
How old is Mary Lou Retton now?
Born Jan. 24, 1968, Retton is currently 55 years old as of this writing.
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