Mary Lou Retton is no stranger to hospitals, considering the number of orthopedic surgeries she's had, but in October 2023, she was hospitalized for a rare form of pneumonia. In a January 2024 interview with Hoda Kotb on Today, in which she still had to have supplemental oxygen, Retton talked about the extent of her illness, and her eldest daughter Shayla Schrepfer said doctors told her, "'We don't know if she's going to make it through the night.'" Schrepfer kept people up to date about her mom's condition on social media.

After more than a week in the ICU, McKenna Lane Kelley, another of Retton's daughters, created a crowdfunding page for her mom on Spotfund asking for people's prayers and money towards her hospital costs. Kelley wrote of her mom, "She is not able to breathe on her own. [...] she [is] not insured." It raised over $450,000.

Retton explained her lack of insurance during her Today appearance. "When COVID hit and after my divorce, and all my pre-existing — I've had over 30 operations of orthopedic stuff — I couldn't afford it." During the pandemic, Retton had fewer speaking engagements, which would have had an impact on her income. She'd apparently been set to sign back up for health insurance shortly before she was hospitalized. Here's hoping the Olympic star has some easier years ahead of her!