Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her battle with pneumonia for the first time since she contracted the illness earlier this month … and she says while she is recovering, she’s not totally out of the woods yet.
In a statement posted to her Instagram page on Monday afternoon, the Olympic legend thanked her followers for all of their support … but added that her recovery from the ailment is moving at a snail’s pace.
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Mary Lou Retton Out Of ICU, Recovering At Home
“I’m beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement,” the 55-year-old said. “I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all!”
“I’m with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process,” she added. “I appreciate everyone’s respect of my privacy at this time.”
Retton was diagnosed with a rare form of pneumonia at the beginning of October … and ended up in the ICU over it all.
During her multiple-day stay at the hospital, her family revealed she suffered a “scary setback” … and at times, things seemed dire. Thankfully, however, Retton was able to fight through it all … and returned home to recover last week.
In her statement Monday, she promised to reveal more about her fight at a later time.
“I love you all,” she wrote.
A fundraiser to help with her medical bills, meanwhile, has received $459,324 from over 8,000 donors.