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6 months ago
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Former gymnast Mary Lou Retton responded to critics after her family raised nearly $500k to pay her mounting medical bills - but refused to disclose where the money was going.
The Olympic gold medalist, who was rushed to hospital with a rare form of pneumonia last October, said her four daughters 'saved [her] life' by setting up a SpotFund account while she was in the ICU.
'I was sobbing,' she told Entertainment Tonight of the moment she discovered how much money her family had raised.
'[But] they didn't deserve that,' Retton went on, when asked about the backlash her daughters received after refusing to explain how much their mom's full medical bill amounted to.
'They were just trying to take care of me. I don't care about the naysayers. There are trolls everywhere. It's what makes us America. Everybody's got an opinion, but it is what it is.'
Mary Lou Retton replied to critics after her family raised nearly $500k to pay her medical bills
'I don't care about the naysayers. There are trolls everywhere,' the former gymnast said
Retton claimed her work opportunities dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, and her finances took a hit following her 2018 divorce from former NFL star, Shannon Kelley.
'There was no work whatsoever, so I mean, it's not like it used to be,' she said.
'Let's say that the height of my fame was years ago and I [was] just doing enough to make it, doing enough to pay my bills.'
Elsewhere in the interview, Retton emphasized that all of the money donated would be allocated toward her medical bills, while any remaining funds would be given to the American Lung Association.
Retton was left fighting for her life when she was hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia
The athlete's four daughters set up a SpotFund account while she was in the ICU
Retton's family have not explained what her medical bills have amounted to
'You can't imagine from ambulance bills to everything,' she said of the mounting costs. 'I couldn't have done it without my daughters. I just couldn't have. I mean, I don't know where I'd be.'
The 56-year-old also addressed her critics directly, saying, 'You're welcome to your opinion, but you weren't in that situation. My daughters stepped up to the plate, and they saved my life and all the love and support saved my life.'
Retton, the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around title in 1984, previously revealed that her condition deteriorated to the point that her four daughters said their goodbyes, fearing she wouldn't make it through the night.
Retton said her condition deteriorated to the point that her daughters said their goodbyes
Doctors told the sisters that they didn't know if their mother would make it through the night
Doctors first approached eldest daughter Shayla and two of her sisters, McKenna and Skyla, to tell them they were considering 'taking the next step' of putting Retton on 'life support'.
The medics later told the trio to get their youngest sister, Emma, who was away at college, to get to the hospital.
Neither Mary Lou, nor any of her daughters, have confirmed how much of the $459,324 that was crowdfunded was spent on medical bills, or what amount was sent - or will be sent - to charity.
During an interview last year, McKenna claimed that her mom was left without health insurance and could not afford care because of pre-existing conditions, including 'over 30 orthopedic surgeries, including four hip replacements.'
English (US)