The opening of the new Children’s Hospital was a big deal. The old Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park was closed, and the patients were all transported three-and-a-half miles to the new hospital, which is part of the Northwestern University medical complex in Streeterville. Several major streets in the city were closed over a weekend last summer so that the sicker children could be transported more quickly.
The new hospital building is named after Ann and Robert H. Lurie. Since Robert Lurie passed away in 1990, his widow has been contributing their wealth, acquired principally through Robert’s partnership with Sam Zell, to philanthropy, both elsewhere and here in the city.
The new Lurie building is aggressively cheery, like something a child might have built out of a snap-together modular building set.
Janet says
I have a special place in my heart for Children’s Hospitals. My first son spent his entire short life (one month) in Oakland Children’s Hospital.
Celia says
I’m sorry you suffered such a loss, Janet.