Mary Lou Retton's daughter McKenna Shelley reveals why former gymnast did not have health insurance

Legendary gymnast Mary Lou Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley recently shared the real reason why the retired Olympic gymnast was denied health insurance. She shared several factors that kept Lou Retton from qualifying for an insurance plan.

In October 2023, Lou Retton made headlines for suffering from a rare form of pneumonia and fighting for her life in the ICU. The news was shared by the retired gymnast’s daughter through a social media post. Kelly shared that her mother was unable to breathe and was in the intensive care unit for over a week. As Lou Retton did not have a medical insurance plan, Kelly urged the gymnast’s fans to raise funding for her mother’s medical expenses.

During a recent interview with USA Today, Kelley revealed that due to Mary Lou Retton’s pre-existing medical conditions, she could not afford to get a health care plan. Her daughter shared that the gymnast has been through over 30 orthopedic surgeries, including four hip replacements. She said:

“Due to her medical history and the amount of surgeries she has endured from gymnastics and just life, it’s unaffordable for her.”

Kelley also revealed that Mary Lou Retton was once covered by a health insurance plan. After retirement, the gymnast would charge a speaking fee of $25000. However, when the pandemic occurred, Mary Lou Retton was unable to work or deliver speeches for two years. As a result, she had to give up on the health insurance plan.

Moreover, in 2018, the retired gymnast divorced her husband and former University of Texas quarterback Shannon Kelley after 27 years of marriage. Eventually, she moved from her large house in the Houston area to a smaller home.

Due to these factors, the gymnast’s four daughters resorted to raising funds for their mother through GoFundMe.

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Mary Lou Retton’s daughter comments on receiving the $459,324, donation amount

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During the interview with USA Today, Mary Lou Retton’s daughter McKenna Kelley shared that she and her sisters never expected to get so much money from the public, saying that they were extremely “overwhelmed” by people’s support. The 26-year-old said:

“I don’t know if that’s ignorant of us or if that was just sweet.”

She added:

“This was not supposed to be a big media thing. … We didn’t even think about what this would turn into. It was simply four daughters who felt helpless who wanted to help their mom who knew that this would help take a burden off.”

Kelley also shared that after they cover their mother’s medical bills, the family would be donating the remaining money to a charity of their mother’s choice.