In October, the news broke that Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was “on life support” and on her death bed.
The famed gymnast’s daughter McKenna Lane Kelley said her mother had “a very rare form of pneumonia” and is “not able to breathe on her own.”
The news made headlines all over the globe and people gave nearly $500,000 in donations to Spotfund.com for Retton’s medical expenses.
A month after Retton was said to be on life support, she was “discharged home.”
The mystery surrounding her hospital stay and lack of health insurance prompted questions from the mainstream media.
USA Today Sports maintained contact with Retton’s daughter, Kelley, and two friends over the course of her mother’s stay in the hospital.
They refused to reveal the name of the hospital or the name of doctor(s) who treated Retton.
According to USA Today, Retton and her daughter Kelley were unwilling “to answer the most basic questions about her health care.”
Earlier this month, Retton agreed to a sit-down interview with NBC’s “Today Show.” She wore oxygen tubing in her nose.
During the interview, Retton admitted she was never on life support in the hospital.
“They were about to put me on life support,” she said.
When asked by NBC why she wasn’t covered by health insurance after earning millions in her career, Retton said, “When Covid hit and after my divorce (in 2018), and all my pre-existing (conditions) — I’ve had over 30 operations of orthopedic stuff — I couldn’t afford it.”
Retton, 55, confirmed that she had health insurance by the time of her interview with the Today Show.
When asked if her Spotfund.com donations were covering her healthcare costs, she didn’t respond.
In a text message to USA TODAY Sports, Kelley said that “all remaining funds” would go to a charity of her mother’s choice.
She offered no timetable or further information about the charities.
Retton was the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. She also won a silver medal in the team and vault events and bronze in floor exercise and uneven bars.
Retton and her ex-husband, former University of Texas quarterback and Houston real estate developer Shannon Kelley share four daughters.
