Over the past three months, 8,319 donors have given Olympic great Mary Lou Retton nearly half a million dollars — $459,324 to be exact — after her daughter took to social media to announce that Retton was “fighting for her life” with a “very rare condition.” of pneumonia” and was not insured.
Also over the past three months, USA TODAY Sports has been in contact with Retton, her daughter McKenna Kelly and two family friends via numerous text messages and phone calls, trying to get answers to questions that remained unaddressed as of Monday afternoon. .
She was asked in several text messages and a voicemail Monday about her lack of health insurance until recently, her financial situation and why she refuses to divulge where she was hospitalized or the name of her doctor(s) more than two months after she left the hospital and Retton, 55, declined to respond.
Retton’s unwillingness to answer basic questions about her health care is coming under increased scrutiny for one simple reason: Kelly and her three sisters’ decision to seek public donations for their mother on the crowdsourcing site Spotfund.com. Had they not done so, Reyton’s illness would likely have remained a private matter, never appearing in the public eye and tempting many strangers to send money.
While he still declined to talk to USA TODAY Sports, Retton agreed to an interview with NBC’s “Today Show” Monday morning. She showed up with an oxygen tube in her nose, and described her harrowing month-long hospital stay, including the moment “they were about to put me on life support,” she said. But she said she was able to return home in late October.
more:Mary Lou Retton received $459,324 in donations. She and her family won’t say how it is spent.
NBC said Retton did not want to reveal the name of the hospital, which is consistent with how she, her family and associates handled the matter with USA TODAY Sports.
When asked by NBC why she wasn’t covered by health insurance, Retton said: “When COVID hit and after my divorce (in 2018), and all my pre-existing (conditions) — I had over 30 orthopedic surgeries — I couldn’t afford it.
Then she shouted: “But who would even know this would happen to me?”
Regarding health insurance, she said: “I am now ready,” confirming that she has medical insurance now. “Yes, yes.”
USA TODAY Sports asked her Monday if Spotfund.com donations pay for health insurance, but there was no response.
When Kelly, 26, was asked in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY Sports why her mother wasn’t covered by medical insurance, she said Retton was unable to get affordable health care due to pre-existing conditions, which she said included “over 30 orthopedic surgeries.” Bones.” , including four hip replacements. “She suffers from chronic pain every day.”
“Given her medical history and the amount of surgeries she’s had from gymnastics and just life, this is unaffordable for her,” Kelly said.
When told that an insurance agent contacted by USA TODAY Sports found two plans charging $545 and $680 a month that someone with her mother’s medical history would qualify for, Kelly said Retton was once covered by health insurance but “because she wasn’t able to” work and give speeches. “For two years because of the pandemic, she gave up her insurance.”
Retton “was about to get (health insurance) back but didn’t, and then she got sick,” Kelly said.
In a text message to USA TODAY Sports on Saturday, Kelly would not comment on how much of the nearly half a million dollars was accounted for, but said that “all remaining funds” would go to a charity of her mother’s choice. No timeline or further information was provided.