Teens Protest Lack Of U. of C. Trauma Center
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- Friends of a slain South Side teen are keeping up pressure on the University of Chicago Medical Center with a protest on Friday designed to get the hospital to reopen its trauma center.
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About 30 members of the group Fearless Leading by the Youth, or FLY, wore red-stained t-shirts and fell to the ground outside the medical center after fake gun shots.
Damien Turner, one of the group's founders, died after a real shooting in August and was not taken to the U. of C. even though it was only four blocks away. He was taken up to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which was the nearest hospital with a trauma center.
The hospital closed its trauma center in 1988, saying it was an enormous financial strain.
Meanwhile the medical center plans to open $700 millionnew hospital in early 2013.
The medical center spokesman did not immediately respond to Newsradio 780's request for reaction to this story
