Mary Lou Retton performs on the stability beam on her strategy to turning into the primary American girl to win … [+]
Mary Lou Retton, the gymnast who gained gold on the 1984 Summer season Olympics, is at the moment in an ICU unit at a Texas hospital with a uncommon type of pneumonia, in line with a report from the Related Press. Retton doesn’t have medical insurance, which has prompted her daughter to begin a crowdfunding marketing campaign which has already surpassed its authentic purpose.
“My superb mother, Mary Lou, has a really uncommon type of pneumonia and is combating for her life,” Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley wrote on the crowdfunding web site Spotfund.
“She shouldn’t be in a position to breathe on her personal. She’s been within the ICU for over every week now. Out of respect for her and her privateness, I can’t disclose all particulars. Nonetheless, I’ll disclose that she not insured,” Kelley continued.
The crowdfunding purpose was initially began at $50,000, however has already exceeded $164,000 by Wednesday morning from over 3,500 donors. Spotfund permits donors to offer textual content messages together with their donations, and there’s been an outpouring of help for the Olympic gold medalist, with phrases of encouragement coming in from 1000’s of followers.
The 55-year-old Retton was simply 16 years outdated when she took gold on the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and gained not only a gold medal however two silver medals and two bronze, because the Related Press notes.
Crowdfunding for medical bills has turn out to be a typical incidence right here within the 2020s, with many individuals turning to web sites like GoFundMe and Spotfund to obtain fundamental take care of survival. Roughly 10.2% of Individuals below the age of 65 don’t have medical insurance, in line with the newest figures accessible from the Kaiser Household Basis, a determine that makes the U.S. distinctive amongst rich international locations for not attaining common well being care, both by means of a single-payer system like Canada and the UK or a multi-payer system like Germany and Australia.
“We ask that if you happen to may assist in any means, that 1) you PRAY! and a pair of) if you happen to may assist us with funds for the hospital invoice,” Retton’s daughter wrote at Spotfund.
“ANYTHING, completely something, can be so useful for my household and my mother. Thank y’all so very a lot!”
