Retired Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is still in the ICU fighting for her life.
Her oldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, took to Instagram on Wednesday night to share a brief update with her followers, explaining that while she and her family are grateful for the outpouring of love and support, her mother remains in the ICU.
Mary Lou Retton’s Daughter Shares Update on Her Mother’s ICU Struggle
On Wednesday, October 18, Mary Lou Retton’s oldest daughter Shayla Schrepfer shared a video on Instagram simply titled “Update” along with a white heart emoji. The Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast has been battling a rare form of pneumonia in the ICU since earlier this month, and unfortunately, it looks like she’s taking a setback in her health.
“Basically at the beginning of this week, we just kept going up and up,” said Schrepfer, 28, admitting that while she’s “thrilled” with the progress her mother is making, it’s still an uphill battle on the road to recovery.
“We were very excited, seeing so much progress and then yesterday we had a pretty scary setback,” he explained. “He is still in the ICU and we are just finishing up a few things as far as his regression. So I just wanted to give an update there,” he continued. He went on to say that “He’s having a better day today, which is great,” but admitted that Retton was feeling “really tired.”
He ended the video by thanking fans for their support. “I get so many messages and emails and it’s just, it’s really nice to see people love him, so… that’s it,” he said as he ended the video.
Retton Girls Share ‘Uplifting’ News Over the Weekend
Instagram | McKenna Kelley
On Sunday, October 15, her daughter McKenna Kelley took to Instagram to share some “good news” about her mother’s condition in the ICU. “UPDATE! We are very excited to share some exciting news. Mother’s progress is amazing. Prayers have been felt and answered,” the message began.
“Although he is still in the ICU, his path to recovery is progressing. His fighting spirit really shines!” the message continues. “His breathing is getting stronger, and his dependence on the machine is decreasing.”
“Despite the long journey, witnessing these improvements has been exciting! He begs to respond to treatment. Once again, we sincerely thank you for your incredible love and support,” the message concluded.
Daughters of Mary Lou Retton Call Her Recovery a ‘Day-by-Day Process’
Shayla first revealed her mother’s health condition in an Instagram video on Wednesday, October 11. “Thank you for your incredible love & support for our mother. Please continue to pray for his full recovery,” she wrote in the caption. In the video, Shayla says that her mother is “still fighting” for her life in the ICU and thanks fans for their support.
“It’s going to be a day-by-day process, and we hope you all will respect his boundaries because we want to keep the details between him and our family for now,” he said. “He was treated by the best professionals here and it was a blessing to hold his hand, so please continue to pray and we can’t thank you enough for the love and support you have shown.”
Shortly after the video was posted, Shayla told People magazine that their “number one concern” was their mother’s well-being, adding, “That being said, being by her side is our priority.”
Retton Has Received Over $450,000 in Donations
Instagram | Mary Lou Retton
On Tuesday, October 10, Mary Lou Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley started a Spotfund page to fund her mother’s health issues. Although the family initially only asked fans to contribute $50,000 to their mother’s health care fund, more than eight thousand donors have contributed more than $450,000 as of Thursday, October 19.
“My amazing mother, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. He can’t breathe on his own. He has been in the ICU for over a week. To respect him and his privacy, I will not reveal all the details. However, I will disclose that he is uninsured,” McKenna wrote in the plea.
“We ask that if you can help in any way, 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you can help us financially for the hospital bills,” he continued. “Anything, anything, would really help my family and my mom. Thank you very much!”
Many fans opened their wallets to donate. A woman named Belinda Carter donated $100, writing, “Praying for you MaryLou to get better and get through this in good health. You’ve given us a lot of fun through your career and we’re happy to help you in any way we can. Love and prayers for a full recovery.”
The Tyson Foods team even donated $10,000 to help the 55-year-old former athlete recover, writing, “Mary Lou has partnered with Tyson Foods in the past on our Gold Medal Mom campaign and cookbook, ‘America’s Cookin’ with Tyson Holly Farms. ‘ Our prayers go out to Mary Lou and her family during this challenging time. Tyson’s team is behind you!”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
