Mary Lou Retton speaks out for first time after life-threatening health scare

Mary Lou Retton is speaking out for the first time about a life-threatening health scare that required a nearly two-week stay in the intensive care unit.

Retton, 55, Instagrammed a thank you to her fans and followers for their support as she battled what her daughters previously described as a very rare form of pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection that causes the air sacs of the lungs to fill with fluid, according to the National Institutes of Health.

“I am overwhelmed with all the love and support form [sic] the world as I fight,” Retton wrote in an Instagram post Monday. “I am forever grateful to you all!”

Retton, a mom of four daughters, was discharged from the hospital last week, two of her daughters shared on social media at the time. They noted she was unable to breathe on her own when she was first hospitalized.

In her post, Retton said she has made a tremendous recovery over the past several weeks, writing, “I’m beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement.”

She plans to share more details of her health battle in the future to help others, but for now, she’s focusing on her recovery.

“I’m with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process,” she wrote. “I appreciate everyone’s respect of my privacy at this time.”

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