Tent City Protests Lack of University of Chicago Trauma Center

Chicago - A "tent city" was set up outside the University of Chicago Medical Center Monday to protest the lack of a trauma center.

The protest is timed to coincide with the one year anniversary of the death of Damian Turner, 18, who was shot about four blocks from the medical facility.

Turner was taken to a hospital downtown because the University of Chicago closed its trauma center in 1988.

Protesters believe Turner might be alive if the trauma center was still open.  Turner's mother said if he had been a year younger, he would have qualified for treatment at a closer hospital.

Demonstrators started the protest early Monday morning with a vigil for Turner.

They hope the "tent city" will convince the University of Chicago to re-open the trauma center.

University of Chicago does have a pediatric trauma center and a burn unit.  They said the lack of trauma centers is a regional problem, not a university-specific problem.