Mary Lou Retton Reveals Daughters Said Goodbye to Her During Life-Threatening Hospitalization

Mary Lou Retton is a fighter. The Olympic-winning gymnast and her daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, sit down with 'Today's' Hoda Kotb to talk about her battle with a life-threatening, rare form of pneumonia for the first time, which lead to her hospitalization in October. Mary Lou says they almost put her on life-support and she's just 'grateful' to be alive.

[@stacygriffin8221]

She had her daughter in Houston Texas Women’s Hospital back in 97- she is a gracious lady. Wishing her a speedy recovery and Happy New Year

[@DebraPetrick-fg7hv]

Glad to see she made it out of the hospital, especially for the holidays. When I first heard last year that she was fighting for her life limmediatly posted it on my FB. She deserved the help from the public after all she represented this country and fought hard to win those gold medals. Keep up the fight for a speedy recovery.

[@Xane_Dragon]

She could have sold some of her medals to pay her bills

[@DebraPetrick-fg7hv]

Very true, and she also could have died also but she didn't. It doesn't matter how much money you have, medical terms if a patient not doing very well they classify it has failure to thrive. She had a will to live and she was determined to put this illness behind her.

[@dianeshea4192]

I can relate to Mary Lou's condition. I was severely sick with pneumonia over 10 years ago. Very scary, my one lung was full of fluid, which was drained after the 5th day. From what I was told, it stays in your system for 7 years. God Bless her for staying strong and not giving up. Her daughters need their mom.

[@rosel368]

Her net worth is 8 MILLION DOLLARS!! She should be ashamed!!

[@jeannecolvin8690]

Praying for her total recovery.🙏🏻

[@blakely1976]

Mary Lou is a National Treasure! I pray for her full recovery❤️

[@teresewecker]

Mary Lou Retton,, I think you're AWESOME!!! A true treasure

[@DiegoOspina86]

Keep fighting Mary Lou 💪💪

[@JettePorrazzo]

Dear Mary lou, I hope you understand, you've inspired an entire generation of young girls, who are now middle-aged in our 40s; to fight for our dreams and push past our growing pains... And you're an inspiration to all of us for coming to the brink and making a comeback once again! Sending you an abundance of love and prayers from Nashville TN XOXO 💋😘❤😊

[@mtkaren]

Sits in a beautiful home “I can’t afford insurance”. Mmmmmkay Mary Lou.

[@user-pu3kj1sz4e]

You really are a karen

[@Rnjeepshoelver]

I don’t believe it at all either , so fake , too

[@tigerspiritjourney]

This situation smells fishy... Asking the public for financial handouts is obscene when you live in a 9000 square foot luxury mansion. I'm sure the hospital could have easily put a lien on the house to ensure payment and fixed a comfortable payment plan. The family chose NOT to. I do hope she recovers, but something is " rotten in the state of Denmark " here.

[@Rnjeepshoelver]

@@tigerspiritjourney agree 👍

[@ckaydw]

Gods healing hands were on you Mary Lou. I so happy that God was with you and you’re still here with your family. I know that God is going to heal you completely . Put it all in his hands honey. I have watch and kept up with since the Olympics. All of America was so proud of you. You’re in all our prayers. God Bless You Mary Lou. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 do you have any?

[@lillygardens1]

God Bless you Mary Lou! You are truly a fighter. Praying that you feel better, every day forward. xox 💖

[@lisascorp]

When she says something like "well who could of known id come down with something like this " Thats why everybody has insurance. Whether it be medical, automobile, homeowners or even renters insurance. Insurance is for those unplanned for emergencies. Us regular folks scrape up the bucks to pay for it, oftentimes cutting back on necessities and wants ( just paying to get their nails done the day prior she said) just to afford it and be a responsible person. Life is full of bad crap happening you don't expect. Sorry , but she is being super cagey and dicey about this whole thing. I was surprised no Doctors who were treating her came out and spoke at the time about her condition while they were treating her (not private details specifically) but they usually do that when well known celebrities are in serious condition. Its clear she was sick and serious i was hospitalized with a very severe case of pneumonia when i was only 21. I know I came close to dying with it too. I wish her good health and recovery but this whole spotfund me was very tacky. She could have afforded the affordable care plan even with her prior surgeries etc. If she can't, how are people managing who don't live in multi million $$ mansions. I graduated hs same yr she won Olympics so I remember her well and her tv ads etc. When I have found out her stances on things like voting against protection against sex abuse policies in gymnastics and other things, I lost any respect. She seems phony and asking for hand outs was so low class for some one in her position. I see a lot of love for her in this comment section but in many others many people are disgusted with this situation. She may have been America's sweetheart at one time, but many many other people feel as i do and have lost a lot of respect for her and her family.

[@Scooter12524]

I couldn’t agree with you more! Begging for money when you live in a multimillion dollar home is super sketchy! And then to say she couldn’t afford insurance! WTF! 🤦‍♀️

[@lisascorp]

@@Scooter12524 it definitely wasn't cool.

[@Rnjeepshoelver]

I agree with you 💯, because SHE was irresponsible, they beg for cash to pay her bills , GTFOH … geez … how awful …I thought her and her daughters seemed very fake and cringy as well

[@julieproctor5455]

God knows we still need you here with us. You are still my hero, when I was a kid I want to like you. I grew up in the 70s. God bless you and your family. 😍🤗💛💚❣

[@noemiburns6470]

Wow, she continues to be a champion through all her ups & downs. God bless her & her family ♥️🇺🇸🫶🏽

[@nantibbs834]

Mary lou will never be forgotten! She is in our❤ after Olympics! Get well all the best!

[@Yoseman1]

How is this not a discussion about how broken The American Healthcare system is!? Universal Healthcare NOW!

[@Weatheredstorms1]

There’s positives and negatives in everything. Hospitals do have sliding scales. If you cannot afford your medical bills they can help. I had a rough pregnancy and my son died. My medical bills were nearly 100k without insurance paying their part. They also fought to not pay claiming something wasn’t needed. I was lifeflighted. That alone was 40k and the insurance company refused to pay a cent of it. It took a year to settle everything. The helicopter wasn’t affiliated with the hospital so that was up to us to pay for. However. This woman is a multi millionaire. She’s getting proceeds from a lawsuit from a faulty medical device. She was given 2 million plus half the proceeds from the sale of both of their homes. She could’ve sought out a plan from Obama’s care act. Reasonably priced. And they cannot turn you down if you have preexisting conditions. They refuse to answer some questions and it leaves people scratching their heads.

[@Yoseman1]

@Weatheredstorms1 "Reasonably priced" plans cover nothing, have big co-pays, etc. Every day, about 900 Americans file for bankruptcy solely due to medical bills. That's a conservative number. It could be as man as 1500 per day.

[@Jenny-dh9lq]

Sadly they are scammers preying on the goodness of the people who work hard and don't expect others to pay their way. NO RESPECT AND SHAME ON YOU

[@OB17358]

To see her smile is wonderful.

[@tigerspiritjourney]

This situation smells fishy... Asking the public for financial handouts is obscene when you live in a 9000 square foot luxury mansion. I'm sure the hospital could have easily put a lien on the house to ensure payment and fixed a comfortable payment plan. The family chose NOT to. I do hope she recovers, but something is " rotten in the state of Denmark " here.

[@Scooter12524]

I’m 💯 with you! I’m sorry she was so sick, BUT to beg for money because she ‘chose’ not to have insurance and then live in a multimillion dollar mansion, is completely BS! 😡

[@tigerspiritjourney]

@@Scooter12524 Yes! The more I think about it, the more it REALLY irks me! How entitled she and her family must feel, to take hand outs from hard-working, good-hearted people, many who are struggling just to put food on the table... It's quite despicable, actually...Hopefully the public will realize this as a big bamboozle and grift of the highest level...Shameful.😡

[@PthaloGreen2]

​@@tigerspiritjourneyexactly. I'm disgusted that journalists aren't asking tougher questions too. The whole thing is disgusting. She lobbied against universal health care. The nerve.

[@tigerspiritjourney]

@@PthaloGreen2 Yes. The journalists are completely complicit in this disgusting grift.

[@PthaloGreen2]

@@tigerspiritjourney Hoda is not exactly a journalist, but even the NBC Nightly News did a fawning piece about her. Ugh.

[@sfleischer9181]

I pray for her continued recovery and overall healing. 🙏🏻❤️

[@joshkabit534]

Tears watching this interview. Keep fighting Marylou.

[@cherylkoski7184]

Mary Lu was irresponsible for not having health insurance.

[@patriciarwilliams4223]

Praying for this wonderful women and her family.

[@user-zd1pi9pe3e]

Keep going! We love you!❤

[@hawlikd]

I am preying for her recovery.

[@CynthiasTikka]

Health insurance experts have said that with her pre-existing conditions her health insurance should have been around $600 to $700. How is not able to afford that while living in a huge mansion? Or have United States gymnastics association help her with her insurance coverage? A lot of questions still are unanswered, like these and what hospital was she in, who were her doctors? She refuses to answer these questions. Kinda fishy 🐟.

[@bambooblue74]

I’ve read other sources online that said she had COVID that turned into pneumonia and the reason she didn’t have insurance is because she is anti-Affordable Care Act. Are others reading the same?

[@goofygirl1311]

No, I don't think that is accurate. She was tested for Covid in the hospital when they were trying to diagnose her and it wasn't Covid.

[@gregorycarlson6632]

Mary Lou is forever a champion!

[@rosiedebevc1952]

Keep on fighting

[@howtocollege7440]

America’s sweetheart said she “thought she was just a washed up athlete.” No ma’am. Someone send her a reminder text! ❤❤

[@MsJanetWood]

🌸

[@heatherthompson8878]

God bless her ❤

[@dawnsnyder6271]

Beautiful woman....

[@user-pu3kj1sz4e]

Marilou your a fighter and Jesus loves you so do we,!,,

[@MegF142857]

"Rare form" of pneumonia. So why not say what caused the pneumonia anywhere in this interview. Was it viral or bacterial or fungal? Well, she has a lot of fans helping to cover her costs & help her have enough money to recover with some rehab.

[@greentree14]

May the Lord Jesus bless her and heal her. Listen to her talking about being grateful and blessed.

[@tammysmith7312]

Praying for u and your family 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@marciamellow1211]

Wow..

[@speedofpee]

Glad she is better but she was foolish to not be insured. Her net worth is in the millions. She has a history of being against liberal policies such as universal health coverage and a bill protecting young gymnasts. She should have known. We are gymnasts, we have every injury in the book.

[@Yoyomu205]

Universal care is a joke who's going to pay for that?plus the insurance was too expensive to get

[@speedofpee]

@@Yoyomu205 wow you literally just presented the problem and a likely solution. But I'm sure you missed all that lol. Who would pay for universal healthcare? Do you know what universal means?

[@Stefanie2530]

She claimed she couldn't get insurance due to the premiums. For her pre-existing conditions, a policy would cost $500-$600 per month. She magically has insurance now despite all of her pre-existing conditions including pneumonia.

[@FunnyHighway-wm7uk]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@brandonchristopher9657]

I want everyone to realize that this lady fought against universal health Care as a republican for a vast majority of her adult life and now she's upset about the cost of her medical bills and how tough It's been and all those things this is just another case of someone fighting against their own best interest because they were getting paid a lot of money to say that BS Universal healthcare helps everyone including people who fight against it 💯 her last decade of Life fighting this illness on and off would have been light-years easier on her and her family if there was universal health Care yet she fought against it every step don't forget that

[@2legit64]

I've always said that it's not an issue until it is their issue. Every. Single. Time.

[@chall9402]

Interesting. Im glad she is recovering. I hope when people like her find themselves in an expensive medical situation they finally get what universal health care is really about. I think people would have expected that she had health care. I don’t know why she didn’t. I don’t know her circumstances. But it shows that anyone can find themselves in need.

[@bluenightingale8420]

Wow!!! but no one is saying it,See like I always says never know what's it's like until it hits you

[@Peace-fd3tg]

Thank you for your comment! I didn't know about this but I knew something was off. So she gets a ton of money you would think she would save just in case. Nope absolutely not. Instead because she is lucky enough to have exposure she gets a GoFundMe account set up and gets 10 times more than what is necessary. How many like her likely veterans/homeless with no exposure and obviously no GoFundMe accounts die every day in this country alone? They don't have a house and most likely multiple cars. How did they allow that account to go all the way up to $500000? Mind-blowing! Why do they have to show this? There must be a reason behind the fake reporter's tears as well. This is so highly hypocritical on so many levels.

[@chall9402]

@@Peace-fd3tg you are so right.

[@tedtimothy9074]

I remember when she was that cute young athlete on the Wheaties boxes during the Reagan years.

[@nancydailey1410]

I just love her…still!

[@b0borden437]

I just read an article that she rec'd over half a million dollars and will not disclose what she used for medical? Also did not disclose many details about illness. Her "employment" was giving speeches until covid struck but many people that are not famous have to go out and get real jobs. Not feeling good about this one after reading another article about her situation.

[@TaniaMarie424]

Problems in the lungs is most likely related to trauma. The body keeps the score.

[@kenterminateddq5311]

Mary fought pneumonia just as she fought to get her Olympic 🥇. I bet your daughters are proud of you, Mary. 😢

[@dolphingirl4265]

Not sure how I feel about all this. I’m happy she’s alive and at home recovering. I’m a fan . However , not of her political views !!! Never should have been a gofundme page. She’s worth millions . How do you not have insurance ? She should donate all the money. I am from her hometown in WV and growing up her family had money as well. I don’t really understand it.

[@teresaedgerton2799]

This a private family matter My heart goes out to her l hope she stays strong forever ! SHE VERY BRAVE IN ALL THIS ! GOD BLESS HER ALWAYS SAY PRAYERS FOR HER

[@jeanrichards9248]

Praying for you Miss Olympia

[@doriswalsh3929]

Wow prayers 🙏 for everyone

[@Lissa102]

Listen I’ve had enough icu talk with tori this year that traumatized me enough I don’t want to see this stop putting it in my suggested videos

[@marciadavis9472]

❤love you girl

[@rosel368]

She should be ashamed. She said she couldn’t afford health insurance so she started a GoFundMe for her hospital bill. I was shocked so I looked up her net worth. HER NETWORTH IS 8 MILLION DOLLARS! She took money from people trying to make ends meet, when she is worth millions. If she doesn’t have cash, sell property. Mary Lou, SHAME ON YOU. IF\you were a decent woman you would refund those people!!!

[@bettybelongia7213]

❤❤❤😊love. Prayers

[@maritzaross197]

You are a warrior! I bet my money on you,so don't lose faith! 🙌🙏😚❤️

[@kevinp5119]

Sounds like the first hospital almost killed her.

[@jmbutler5]

she seems a little off, medication maybe?

[@dalehoward3704]

God heal Mary Lou TOTALLY, COMPLETELY AND GET HER BACK TO HER FAMILY ❤✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏✝️✝️💕💗❤️❗👼👍👼

[@leslieeswigart]

Was she jabbed or unjabbed?

[@joannnewton5979]

❤️🙏

[@georgemichael9106]

America loves Mary Lou Redding

[@TimedOut...NoWayo]

another near healthcare failure. final goodbyes? shame on the doctors. however, she seems a bit off, like, something else . . .her behavior is odd. and way older than 55 yo.

[@Stefanie2530]

Why are you blaming the doctors? They did nothing wrong. And she is 55 years old

[@mienafriggstad3360]

👏🙏

[@laskahusky7313]

she looks terrible...she looks about 80 years old....i dont think its pneumonia....it has too be something else...on a breathing tube??? i dont think she has long to live unfortunately....i work in hospice...i think she is in big trouble

[@georgeburdine5660]

Well,sounds like she hung around the right wing politicians. Isn't their motto, just have somebody else pay for it. And for the Christian types,if you pray, you will probably pay, did you even give it a thought that this may be a scam,or maybe you don't even care. Only in america where all man is created UN equal.

[@muffinman4353]

Scammers....

[@bobs1356]

Poor thing she really doesn't look that good but hope she will improve. Her voice sound like she's short of when talking because of the oxygen.

[@Not.Sage_xx]

FIRST

[@skyeblue5669]

Omg she's old

[@pamelahermano9298]

I mean, 1984 was 40 years ago lol

[@mtkaren]

MAGATs age quicker

[@heartofglass7235]

aging not for the faint hearted. i look old now too and it sucks

[@Crissy991]

She looks bad

[@KARYTTAH_PopMetal_Rock_BAND]

🤔 Maybe We're The #1 #Spiritist* Pop-Metal #Rock #Band In This World... But Don't Pay Much Attention To Our Neanderthal English ❤ *NOTE: Spiritist is who professes #Spiritism, the #Gospel continuation It has began with the books by #AllanKardec and continued in the books by Francisco C. Xavier #ChicoXavier, the greatest and more important #medium/#prophet of #spirits of the last centuries. -*-

[@barbaradobson9298]

Such a family of scam artists… how they can feel good about taking other people’s hard earned money appalls me… almost a half a million and you live in an 8 million dollar home… do your research before you give.

[@DazLarson]

They didn’t “take” people’s money; caring people *gave* it to her in her time of need. You sound jealous.