Mary Lou Retton’s family is celebrating a joyful new beginning as her daughter, McKenna Kelley, has welcomed her first child — and she’s giving God the glory through it all.
Kelley and her husband, Braden Doughty, announced the birth of their daughter, Jones Harper Doughty, in a heartfelt Instagram post filled with gratitude, honesty, and faith.
“Jones Harper Doughty ? 8lbs 1oz, 21 inches 5/12/26,” the couple wrote. “A full day & a half of labor that ended in a c-section and yet the Lord met us every step of the way.”
The new parents admitted the delivery did not go according to their original plans, but they believe God was still present through every difficult moment.
“The birth we didn’t plan for became everything we could’ve asked for,” they shared. “The hardest 36 hours of my life led us to our sweet girl. She is everything and more. We love you Jonesie girl!”
Kelley, a former LSU gymnast and the daughter of Olympic legend Mary Lou Retton, later opened up even more about the emotional and spiritual journey surrounding her daughter’s birth. In another Instagram post, she reflected on how her faith carried her through a long and complicated labor.
“Our girl ?,” she wrote alongside Proverbs 16:9: “‘The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.’”
Kelley explained that she and her husband had prayed specifically for an unmedicated birth and spent months preparing for that experience.
“From the day we got two pink lines we prayed so intentionally for the birth we desired,” she wrote. “I did all the prep, the courses for an unmedicated labor and delivery.”
But after more than 24 hours of labor and multiple medical interventions, her body was unable to progress, leading doctors to perform a C-section.
“On paper, not a single thing we specifically prayed for happened,” Kelley admitted. “But spiritually? The Lord met us through every contraction, every intervention and answered our prayers in a way that my ‘perfect birth’ couldn’t have.”
Her reflections resonated with many Christian parents who understand the tension between carefully made plans and trusting God when life unfolds differently.
“It’s a funny thing to think that though we are parents now, we don’t stop being children of God,” she wrote. “Braden, myself and Jones are all children of God.”
Kelley also shared a touching moment that strengthened her belief that God had been preparing this story long before she became pregnant. During her pregnancy, she discovered an old note she had once written to her future daughter while in college.
“As I reread it, my heart stopped when I noticed the date: May 4, 2025,” she wrote. “Our due date? May 4, 2026.”
For Kelley, the moment was a reminder of God’s faithfulness and attention to detail.
“The Lord was so intentional before we were even pregnant,” she said. “He is a God who works in the whispers and in the details, and He knew Jones would be ours all along.”
The couple’s story comes after Mary Lou Retton herself publicly spoke about relying on God during her frightening 2023 health scare, making this new chapter especially meaningful for the family.
Congratulations continue pouring in for Kelley and Doughty as they begin life with baby Jones — a little girl they believe was part of God’s plan all along.