Woman dies after being found on roof of Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan; family of Chelsea Adolphus pleads for answers

WAUKEGAN (WLS) — A woman died hours after being found unresponsive on the roof of a hospital Thursday in the north suburbs.

A death investigation is now underway at the Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.

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The Lake County, Illinois Coroner’s Office said the woman was admitted to the hospital earlier this week before ending up on the roof.

The woman’s family is now seeking answers, speaking with ABC7 Friday.

“She was sweeter. She was friendly,” the woman’s mother, Yolanda Adolphus, said. “You could ask her anything. She was a kind person.”

Adolphus described her only daughter, 28-year-old Chelsea Adolphus, as a sweet girl who would do anything for someone in need.

Hospital personnel discovered Chelsea Adolphus on the roof of the Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan on Thursday morning. Initially unresponsive, she was transferred to the emergency room where she was later pronounced dead, approximately 14 hours after being found.

“I’m hurt. I’m sad,” Yolanda Adolphus said. “I want answers. Answers to know what happened to my daughter.”

According to Chelsea Adolphus’ family, she had been admitted to the hospital and was staying in a room. They are perplexed as to how she gained access to the roof and the duration of time she spent there exposed to the freezing temperatures.

Her loved ones gathered at the family’s home Friday, just a few miles from the hospital, offering support to each other.

“Somebody need to give me what happened to my baby Chelsea,” Yolanda Adolphus said. “It’s sad, and I will never get back my daughter.”

Despite ABC7’s efforts to obtain a comment from the hospital on Friday, no response was received. Concurrently, both the police and the coroner are actively involved in investigations and are preparing for a news conference early next week.

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