Lifestyle Health Celebrity Health Mary Lou Retton's Daughter Shares Pictures from the Hospital as She Reflects on 'Hardest Year' The former Olympic gymnast fought a rollercoaster battle with a rare form of pneumonia in October By Anna Lazarus Caplan Anna Lazarus Caplan Anna Lazarus Caplan is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work previously appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News, Eater and other publications. People Editorial Guidelines Published on January 2, 2024 12:02PM EST Comments Close Photo: Shayla Kelley Schrepfer/Instagram Shayla Schrepfer is looking back on the “hardest year” of her life. Mary Lou Retton’s eldest daughter shared her highlights and low moments of 2023 on Instagram over the weekend, just months after her mother was hospitalized with a rare form of pneumonia. “The highs were SO high, but the lows were the LOWEST lows,” Schrepfer, 28, wrote. “I can easily say 2023 has been the hardest year of my life.” Schepfer and her younger sisters McKenna, Skyla and Emma Kelley rallied around their Olympic gold medalist mom when she spent multiple weeks in the ICU at a Houston-area hospital in October, and they posted frequent updates about her condition on social media to Retton’s legion of fans worldwide. Mary Lou Retton Celebrates First Christmas Since Health Scare with Photo of Her Four Daughters In Schrepfer’s photo montage, snapshots from the tough time include a photo of family members holding Retton’s hands while she lay in a hospital bed and other images of the group spending time in the iconic former gymnast’s hospital room. In a statement to PEOPLE in October, Schrepfer said the family’s “number one concern is the well being of our mom.” Shayla Kelley Schrepfer/Instagram “That being said, being by her side is our first priority,” the competitive bodybuilder told PEOPLE at the time. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. By late October, Retton, 55, was discharged from the hospital. In an update on her mom’s condition posted on Instagram, McKenna shared the good news. Mary Lou Retton Is Home from the Hospital and 'in Recovery Mode,' Daughter McKenna Says “Mom is HOME & in recovery mode,” Kelley, 26, wrote. “We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us, but baby steps.” Shayla Kelley Schrepfer/Instagram She continued, “We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone. Grateful doesn’t scrape the surface of the posture of our hearts.” McKenna first broke news that Retton had become ill earlier that month, and sparked an outpouring of support for the beloved retired athlete. “My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life," she wrote in a message on a Spotfund fundraising page for Retton, which has since raised over $459,000 — well over its initial $50,000 goal. On Instagram Saturday, Shayla shared her appreciation for her mom's fans and followers."Thank you to everyone that has helped me through such a difficult year," she wrote. "Bring it on 2024!"