Mary Lou Retton is making her first public statement since her hospitalization after suffering from a rare form of pneumonia.
“I’m beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement,” Retton said in a post shared on Instagram. “I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all.”
She continued, “I’m with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process.”
It was Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley that shared her mother had been taken to the ICU and “fighting for her life.”
“She is not able to breathe on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over a week now,” Kelley shared at the time. “Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she not insured.”
Kelley shared that the Dancing with the Stars alum and Olympic champ was suffering from a rare form of pneumonia but did not share details. As Retton continues to recover, she said she would not delve into her health issues but would share “when the time is right.”
“I appreciate everyone’s respect of my privacy at this time,” Retton added in her statement. “When the time is right, I will be sharing more information about my health issues and I hope I can help others who may face the same battle as me. I love you all.”
Read the full statement in the Instagram post below.