Mary Lou Retton opens up in her first interview since being hospitalized for a uncommon type of pneumonia in October 2023.
The previous Olympic gymnast sat with Hoda Kotb for an unique interview, which is able to air TODAY, Monday, January eight.
In a preview clip of the interview shared on Sunday TODAY, the 55-year-old spoke with Hoda alongside her eldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, at her dwelling in Boerne, Texas, the place she is recovering after spending a month within the care unit intensive.
Retton is at present utilizing a transportable oxygen machine whereas her lungs heal, as famous by Hoda, who informed the previous gymnast, “I really feel such as you’re in a really weak state.”
“Plenty of it’s like that. I am very non-public and I’m going out and speak about it… Often my interviews are, ‘Oh yeah, it was nice to win the Olympics!’” Retton mentioned.
Retton then revealed the severity of her sickness and mentioned she was virtually positioned on life help.
“That is severe, that is life, and I’m very grateful to be right here,” mentioned the five-time Olympic medalist. “I am fortunate to be right here as a result of there was a time once they have been about to place me on life help.”
Within the first days of her hospitalization, Retton’s oxygen ranges reached such a low degree that her 4 daughters (Schrepfer, McKenna Lane Kelley, Skyla Kelley and Emma Jean Kelley) have been informed to “put together for the worst” and They needed to speak about placing their mom on a ventilator.
Retton’s daughters publicly revealed their mom’s analysis on October 10 via a crowdfunding web site, asking for help and assist to cowl medical prices whereas their mom was “preventing for her life.”
Schrepfer supplied a number of updates on her mom’s situation, which medical doctors referred to as “a uncommon type of pneumonia,” within the following weeks to maintain followers knowledgeable.
In a social media publish shared on October 14, Schrepfer famous that whereas his mom remained within the ICU, “her highway to restoration is steadily transferring ahead.” On October 18, Schrepfer’s subsequent well being replace mentioned her mom had had a “fairly scary setback” after “seeing a lot progress” and she or he was nonetheless within the ICU.
The next week, Schrepfer mentioned on Oct. 23 that her mom was in “restoration mode” and had returned dwelling after her week-long keep within the hospital, however added that that they had “an extended highway of restoration forward.”
Retton shared her first public assertion on October 30, writing partly: “I’m with my household and proceed to slowly get better and keep very optimistic as a result of I do know this restoration is an extended and gradual course of.”
Lower than a month later, Retton shared a message on social media about Thanksgiving, writing that on this vacation, his “coronary heart overflows with deep gratitude.”
“On today of giving thanks, I bear in mind the worth of life, the love that surrounds me and the resilience of the human spirit,” he added.
This text was initially revealed on TODAY.com