After becoming the first American woman to win the gymnastics all-around gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Mary Lou Retton appeared on a Wheaties box. That used to count for something.
Nearly four decades later, though, Retton – America’s Reagan-era sweetheart – is gravely ill in hospital. “My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life,” her daughter wrote on the crowdfunding site Spotfund. “Out of respect for her and her privacy, I will not disclose all details. However, I will disclose that she is not insured.”
