Autopsy results showed the death of a five-year-old in a grim refugee shelter in Chicago was caused by sepsis and a bacterial infection.
Jean Carlos Martinez was only five years old when he died on December 17th after seeking refuge at the Pilsen animal shelter south of downtown.
The cause of death was determined to be sepsis due to infection with Group A Streptococcus pyogenes, which can cause strep throat and other life-threatening illnesses, according to the autopsy released by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.
Factors that contributed to his death were listed as COVID-19, adenovirus and rhinovirus, according to the autopsy.
Jean suffered from fever and pain in his left leg for two or three days before he died.
Jean Carlos Martinez was only five years old when he died on December 17th after seeking refuge at the Pilsen animal shelter south of downtown
Autopsy results showed the death of a five-year-old in a grim refugee shelter in Chicago was caused by sepsis and a bacterial infection
Jean's tragic death in December was accompanied by four other hospitalizations of children from the same shelter.
The many cases of illness led to questions being asked about the conditions in the accommodation.
Video footage obtained exclusively by shows 2,300 migrants crowded together under a leaky roof at the shelter in freezing temperatures.
Volunteers told they had feared weeks ago that the conditions could lead to the deaths of the sick children.
One video showed a little boy with what appeared to be a bandage on his head, lying on a thin folding bed and distracting himself with a tablet.
Another image shows another child coughing and crying while his temperature is taken and volunteers examine him.
A third video showed water leaking from the roof and pooling on one of the beds.
“When the water is poured up here… since all the wood is rotting from the water that fell here – see, it has water,” a man said in Spanish while filming.
The converted warehouse seemed to do a poor job of keeping out Chicago's winter chill, despite the freezing December weather.
A photo of a little girl bundled up in a pink down jacket, matching pants and a hat showed that the warehouse could not withstand the winter cold
One photo showed a little girl bundled up in a pink down jacket and matching pants and hat.
Volunteers sent an email to two Chicago city officials on Oct. 15 outlining their concerns about conditions at the shelter.
“Dozens of sick people, including children, were denied painkillers and other relief measures,” wrote Annie Gomberg of the city’s police station response team.
“If a resident needs medical attention, they are on their own and have no advice other than to call 911. As a deterrent, he is told that it would “cost him a lot of money” to use an ambulance and go to a hospital.
“I thought we paid for doctors and nurses?”
Gomberg described that drinking water was rationed in 4- to 6-ounce cups and there was not enough food or toilets for the 2,300 migrants living there.
She warned against vaccinating children as this, combined with everyone living together in close quarters, could be fatal.
“I predict an outbreak of a disease such as measles within the next six months without further intervention,” she wrote.
“They do not provide clothing, adequate blankets and bedding, everything is provided by private individuals who are committed to alleviating the suffering.”
There was also no access to a laundry, at least one that the broke migrants could afford, so everyone wore dirty clothes.
Migrants have previously described outbreaks of chickenpox, flu and upper respiratory infections at the shelter.
The shelter is operated by Favorite Healthcare Staffing, a Kansas-based contractor that the city has paid $100 million to operate since September 2022
A video taken by a passerby showed trash piling up in front of the shelter. The converted factory was the subject of numerous complaints about unsanitary conditions
They said some children got eye infections from fibrous debris falling from the ceiling and were not given medication if they were sick.
The food consisted of the same chicken and rice every day, often too spicy for children and sometimes spoiled. Other food could not be stored and was thrown away by staff when discovered during regular checks.
The shelter is operated by Favorite Healthcare Staffing, a Kansas-based contractor that the city has paid $100 million to operate since September 2022.
Officials are grappling with how to respond to Chicago's refugee crisis as progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker appear to be at odds over tens of millions of dollars each will need to find a solution to the city's refugee crisis finance.
The Windy City is struggling to care for more than 34,000 asylum seekers that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has bused here from the border over the past 18 months. The company has spent $156 million on the crisis and is still housing 14,200 migrants in its 28 shelters. It is also in dispute with the state of Illinois over where to build more housing.
Pritzker, along with Cook County Executive Toni Preckwinkle, pledged an additional $250 million to fund their response. However, that is $71 million less than what official figures say will be needed in 2024 alone.