Olympic great Mary Lou Retton says friend found her on the floor struggling to breathe before hospitalization
Olympic hero Mary Lou Retton said a friend found her on the floor of her home struggling to breathe before she was admitted to the hospital and her battle with a rare form of pneumonia started.
Retton shared in an interview on NBC’s “Today” that she had just gotten her nails done with her oldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, as they prepared to embark on a trip to Dallas to see her other daughter Emma Jean’s boyfriend play on the road.
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Mary Lou Retton poses for a portrait session for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. (USA Today Sports)
But the five-time Olympic medalist never made it.
She said she was having trouble breathing while she was getting a manicure. The next day, she said she was lying on the floor for about 15 minutes before her friend noticed that her door was open and came over to check on her.
“She came in the house. She knows my code, and saw me and found me,” Retton told NBC’s Hoda Kotb. “And Magda pretty much saved my life.”
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Mary Lou Retton waves to the crowd during the Parade of Olympians Celebration at SAP Center in San Jose, California, on July 9, 2016. (Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports)
Retton was admitted to the hospital soon after and, on Oct. 10, Retton’s daughter said the former Olympian was “fighting for her life.” But after a few days in the hospital, she was sent home.
She reached a dangerously low level of oxygen before she was rushed back to the hospital and into the intensive care unit. The doctor said they were considering putting Retton on “life support,” she and her daughters recalled.
“This is serious, and this is life, and I’m so grateful to be here,” Retton added. “I am blessed to be here because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support.”
Mary Lou Retton in action on the uneven bars during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. (Darr Beiser-USA Today Sports)
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The 55-year-old is using a portable oxygen tank to help her breathe as she continues to recover.
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