Retton found herself hospitalized for a rare form of pneumonia, grappling with a life-threatening situation in the ICU late last year. The gravity of the circumstances led her four daughters to bid their farewells, yet, thankfully, Retton has successfully bounced back to full health.
However, a cloud of uncertainty looms as many question the apparent secrecy surrounding the allocation of the $500k in donations that Retton received to cover her hospital bills.
From Daily Mail UK:
One week after her mom was rushed to hospital, Retton's daughter McKenna Kelley shared the worrying news on her Instagram story along with a SpotFund account she started to help cover the medical costs.
'Please help my mom continue to fight,' Kelley wrote. 'Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured.
'We ask that if you could help in any way, that 1) you PRAY! and 2) if you could help us with finances for the hospital bill.'
Earlier this month, USA Today's Christine Brennan revealed that the crowdsourcing request had brought in a staggering $459,324, with Retton's daughters admitting they did not expect to receive as much.
However, after refusing to explain how much the full medical bill came to and how much of the remaining money they will give to charity, Retton and her family find themselves under the microscope.
During the interview with Brennan, Kelley claimed that her mom was left without health insurance as she could not afford care because of pre-existing conditions, including 'over 30 orthopedic surgeries, including four hip replacements. She’s in chronic pain every day.'
Kelley and her sisters have also cited Retton's 2018 divorce and disruptions to her speaking-engagement income caused by the Covid-19 pandemic as reasons for financial difficulty.
