The family’s cry for help shows great concern and desperation – and it has triggered a wave of solidarity in the USA. Los Angeles Summer Games star Mary Lou Retton is fighting for her life. The Olympic champion and five-time medalist from 1984 has been in intensive care for over a week. The condition of the gymnastics icon is critical. A rare form of pneumonia currently makes it impossible to breathe on your own. Daughter McKenna Kelley also published the shocking news on Instagram on behalf of her three sisters. “Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not release all the details,” Kelley wrote. The daughter combined the sad message with a call for donations because: Mary Lou Retton does not have health insurance.
The family asked for prayers – and hopes for financial support. A crowdfunding page aimed to raise $50,000 to cover medical costs. On Wednesday, over $140,000 had already been raised and the fundraising goal was almost tripled – the US citizens have not forgotten “America’s Sweetheart”. In the USA, Retton is a legend and enjoys great popularity. The 55-year-old was one of the defining athletes of LA 1984, she was the first American woman to win the gold medal in the all-around competition, she also secured silver in vault and with the team as well as bronze in floor exercise and on the uneven bars. Even after her active career, she remained in the spotlight. The 1.45 m small Retton had smaller guest appearances in television series and films such as “Baywatch” or “The Ghosts I Called…” alongside Bill Murray. In 1993, almost ten years after her Olympic success, she was voted the most popular athlete in the United States in a national poll.
