One woman standing outside a migrant shelter in Pilsen – where an estimated 2,300 people are living - said her three children have not seen a doctor and that the food inside the shelter is so bad, they buy food from vendors across the street.
Another man, who asked not to appear on camera out of fear he could get kicked out of the shelter, said his family is sleeping in the same large room where the 5-year-old boy, Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, was found unresponsive and died Sunday.
In a statement sent Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office confirmed that the cause of the child’s death remains under investigation – but that the child “does not appear to have died from an infectious disease, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health, and there is no evidence of an outbreak at the shelter. The CDPH team will continue to evaluate the situation.”
The city’s statement has not muted growing concerns among volunteers and migrants themselves who told NBC 5 Investigates many people inside the shelter are sick and that there is not adequate access to healthcare.
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NBC 5 Investigates reported Monday how medical volunteers have complained they’ve been denied access to the shelters.
NBC 5 Investigates reached out to both the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Cook County Health Department with questions about the conditions inside and reports of additional illnesses on Tuesday. So far, neither organization has responded to our questions.
Favorite Healthcare Staffing, which operates the city’s migrant shelters, sent a statement to NBC 5 Investigates Monday evening, which read:
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“We are heartbroken to learn of the death of a child at a Pilsen shelter on Sunday, and we send our deepest condolences to his loved ones and community. We take the safety and wellbeing of all shelter residents seriously. Our team is working closely with the City of Chicago.
According to mayor’s office, the boy’s family arrived in Chicago on November 30, and on that same day, underwent intake at the shelter at 2241 S. Halsted.
“According to the incident report, on December 17, the Martinez family left the shelter for part of the morning and early afternoon, returning at 2:32 p.m. Approximately 13 minutes later, shelter staff witnessed a medical emergency and immediately responded by calling 911, after which staff began administering first aid to the child. Shelter staff performed chest compressions while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. Chicago firefighters and paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and immediately transported the child to Comer Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced deceased,” according to the city’s Tuesday statement.
One volunteer – who toured the shelter on Monday - told NBC 5 Investigates that the building was cold, people were sick and that they did not have adequate space to isolate and that crews appeared to be cleaning.
Veronica Saldana is one of two volunteers who toured the migrant shelter.
“I’m really concerned about all those sick kids. We were told only about 30 people were seen yesterday and there are well over 2,000 people in that shelter,” Saldana said, referring to health assessment teams who were on site on Monday.
Saldana told us she spoke to the parents of Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero on Monday who were having a hard time with the loss of their 5-year-old son.
“They’re very upset but they say they are being treated well. And just not really saying much,” she said.
NBC 5 Investigates was told the family was moved to another shelter where they were being provided care and housing.
