Mary Lou Retton’s daughter says ‘prayers have been felt’ as gold medalist shows signs of recovery

Gold medalist Mary Lou Retton is showing signs of improvements with her breathing becoming stronger, her daughter says

Olympic gymnast legend Mary Lou Retton is making “remarkable” progress while fighting pneumonia in intensive care, her daughter has revealed in a new update.

“Prayers have been felt and are being answered,” McKenna Kelley said in a post on her Instagram.

“Although she remains in the ICU, her path to recovery is steadily progressing. Her fighting spirit is truly shining!”

Ms Retton, 55, was hospitalised after she fell seriously ill with a rare form of pneumonia, her family revealed last Tuesday.

Ms Kelley told her Instagram followers that her mother was in the intensive care unit (ICU) and shared a link to a fundraising page to help pay for her medical bills – as she explained that the former gymnastics star is uninsured.

The gold medalist was unable to breathe on her own and had been “fighting for her life” in the ICU for over a week, Ms Kelley said.

However, in Ms Kelley’s latest update on Saturday, she said that her mother’s “breathing is becoming much stronger and her reliance on machines is diminishing”.

“Though it’s a lengthy journey, witnessing these improvements is incredibly heartening! She’s beginning to respond to treatments,” she wrote.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your overwhelming love and support.”

Ms Retton became a household name after she became the first American female gymnast to ever win the all-around gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1984.

The admiration and respect that many have for the successful athlete was apparent when over 8,000 people donated to her fundraising page.

Her daughter originally set a goal of $50,000, but as of Monday, the amount stands at a staggering $435,000, with thousands of donors commenting on the page wishing her a speedy recovery and thanking her for the inspiration she gave over the years.

The gymnast star’s “fighting spirit is truly shining” as she remains in the ICU (David Livingston/Getty Images)

Big names such as American businessman Mattress Mack – real name Jim McIngvale – and his wife, Linda, were among those who donated to the page.

The couple gave $50,000, telling TMZ they had been big fans of Ms Retton even before she shot to fame at the 1984 Olympic Games.

Ms Retton was only 15 years old when she started to make a name for herself in US competitions, winning the American Cup and coming second at the US Gymnastic National Championship in 1983.

The following year, she took the Los Angeles Olympic Games by storm, winning a gold medal as well as two bronze and two silver medals in other competitions within the games.

She was awarded a gold medal after she scored perfect 10s on the floor and vault events, gaining first place by just 0.05 points.

Her performance made her one of the most popular gymnasts in America. She was inducted into the United States Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame in 1985 and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.

Mary Lou Retton is one of 27.5 million US citizens who are not insured (Ben Gabbe/Getty Images)

As Ms Retton continues to fight in the ICU, her lack of medical insurance has sparked a huge conversation about the state of American healthcare.

Ms Retton is one of around 27.5 million US citizens or 43 per cent who are uninsured, according to KFF.

Around half of adults in the US say they have had difficulty affording healthcare, with 41 per cent having some form of debt due to large medical bills, according to the report.

Pneumonia is a very common illness that can cause more than 50,000 deaths and a million hospitalisations each year, according to the American Lung Association.