Heavy/Getty DWTS alum Mary Lou Retton's fight to live continues.
An update on “Dancing with the Stars” alum Mary Lou Retton has emerged, and her medical condition has taken a turn for the worse. DWTS fans have been rooting for the season 27 veteran to fully recover after learning she has been hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia. Now, however, the Olympic gymnastics champion has experienced a setback in her recovery.
Here’s what you need to know:
Mary Lou Retton Was Making Forward Progress Early in the Week
On October 10, one of Retton’s daughters revealed her mother was in the hospital. In fact, she detailed, Retton had been in the intensive care unit for more than a week at that point.
Retton’s daughters gave fans good news on October 14, explaining their mother had been making “truly remarkable” progress in her recovery.
A new update on Retton’s condition shared on October 18 revealed the situation has changed. Shayla Schrepfer, one of Retton’s daughters, explained the latest on her mother’s condition via an Instagram post.
“Basically, at the beginning of this week, we were going on the up and up, we were so excited, seeing so much progress, and then yesterday we had a pretty scary setback,” Schrepfer explained. Her reference to “yesterday” would be Monday, October 17.
The ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Alum’s Condition Remains Serious
Schrepfer went on to detail that her mother remains in the intensive care unit at the hospital. “We’re just working through some things as far as her setback goes,” she shared. Retton’s daughter did not provide more specifics regarding what had happened which the family and medical team considered to be a “pretty scary setback.”
Luckily, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum had a better day on Tuesday, October 18, in comparison to the prior day. She was, however, “really, really exhausted.”
In the initial disclosure about her illness, Retton’s family indicated the gymnast was “fighting for her life.” In addition, she was struggling to breathe.
The family has been selective in what details they shared regarding Retton’s condition, citing a desire to keep things as private as they could.
Retton’s daughter, McKenna Kelley, explained in her initial post about her mother’s condition that Retton was uninsured. At that time, she shared a fundraising site for those supporters who wanted to help. The fund to help Retton’s family cover expenses has grown to over $455,000, with more than 8,200 donors.
Retton Still Gets Love From Her DWTS Partner Sasha Farber
Retton competed on season 27 of “Dancing with the Stars” with professional dancer Sasha Farber. He told Entertainment Tonight he had been in contact with his former partner after learning of her illness, noting they had remained close to one another since their season.
In his initial contacts with Retton after learning she was sick, Farber detailed she was feeling as if she had no more fight in her. He encouraged her by sending dancing videos and giving her plenty of support and encouragement.
The DWTS pro has not publicly shared any additional updates on Retton. During his initial updates, however, he signaled he would be staying in touch with her as he could.