A Black woman has died after reportedly spending several hours outside on the roof of the hospital where she was receiving treatment. Now, her family’s demanding to know how something like this could’ve happened.
Source: Grace Cary / Getty
According to PEOPLE, 28-year-old Chelsea Adolphus was admitted to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, Illinois, at about 4 a.m. on Jan. 22, after she sought “medical treatment and help” for an ailment officials declined to identify publicly due to an ongoing investigation. Lake County coroner Jennifer Banek said during a press conference Monday that Adolphus left her room at about 2 a.m. the next morning and, somehow, she wasn’t discovered for nearly seven hours, when she was found on the hospital’s rooftop at 8:45 a.m. wearing only her hospital gown. Hospital staff reportedly spent the next 14 hours attempting to resuscitate her but to no avail. Adolphus was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. on Jan. 23.
A preliminary autopsy found she died of hypothermia. The official ruling on how she died will be made pending toxicology results.
So, essentially, Adolphus froze to death after leaving her room and not being seen again by anyone on the hospital staff for nearly seven hours. To make matters worse, according to Banek, it doesn’t appear to be a situation where Adolphus wandered out and simply didn’t return. Instead, she might have been locked out.
From PEOPLE:
When Adolphus was first taken to the hospital’s emergency department, it was determined that her body temperature was 50 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Banek.
Banek went on to share that due to the “unusual circumstances” surrounding the patient’s death, they were the ones to notify the Waukegan Police Department.
At another point during the press conference, Banek shared that they believe the door Adolphus exited “did not have alarms” on it, nor was it possible to “return back inside” after it closed.
In her remarks, Banek, who formerly worked at Vista as an anesthesiologist, said that since Dec. 2023, she had previously voiced her concerns about the lack of care and safety measures at Vista.
“The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed those concerns by revoking Vista’s level 2 trauma designation for five weeks for not having appropriate blood supply and clinical staff available for patients,” she said.
“Most recently,” she added, “Vista Medical Center furloughed 69 employees, including sitters who are staff members that sit and watch to monitor to ensure patients are safe when they are most vulnerable.”
Banek also referenced that she spoke at a February 2024 press conference in which she stated that “lives were at stake.”
According to USA TODAY, Adolphus’ brother, Paul Adolphus, said Monday that his family is going through a “horrible time mentally” and that what happened to his sister represents the “most disturbing death ever in this town.” He also said the family won’t rest until they know what really happened and why.
“The Adolphus family will be seeking justice for Chelsea Adolphus because this has to be stopped,” he said. “If there’s anyone, any staff that was on board that day in the Vista hospital, me and my family ask that you guys come … so we can get justice for my sister.”
The family launched a GoFundMe page “to support Chelsea’s family as they navigate this heartbreaking time.” The author of the page noted that Adolphus’ family members were “allegedly misled about her whereabouts by hospital staff, and critical lapses in patient care have raised serious concerns about how such a tragedy could occur.”
“Chelsea’s passing highlights a systemic failure, and we cannot let her story go unheard,” the page reads. ‘Together, we can honor her memory and advocate for change.”
Nationally renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump and co-counsel from Taxman, Pollock, Murray, & Bekkerman, LLC held a news conference to announce the filing of a six-count wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the family.
“This is a God-awful heartbreaking tragedy,” NBC Chicago reports Crump said Wednesday. “We will get accountability for what happened and get justice for Chelsea Adolphus.”
Family members also claim the hospital staff initially told them her body was found down the street outside a store, not on the roof.
The hospital staff at Vista certainly have a lot to answer for, starting with how no one noticed a patient was missing for nearly seven hours in the first place.
This is why we call for the protection of Black women, y’all. This appears to be yet another senseless and avoidable death. Rest well, Chelsea, and may your family receive justice!
The post #ChelseaAdolphus: Black Woman Dies In Illinois Hospital After Being Left Out On The Roof For 7 Hours appeared first on Bossip.
