Chicagoans: Karen Davenport Needs Our Help!!!

Dear Friends,

My name is Jocelyn Hare and I'd like to tell you a bit about Our Lady in the ICU, Karen Davenport. When she was younger, Karen was a model--featured in magazines like Ebony and Jet. She would go on to have three children and work at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. Over a decade ago, Karen was evicted from her Hyde Park apartment and has lived at the 57th Street and Stony Island bus shelter since. Neighbors and family would bring her food and water--checking in on her to see how she was doing.

Several weeks ago, we learned Ms. Karen was taken by police over to UC Medical Center where all four of her limbs were amputated due to frostbite. At that point, Ms. Karen was in the ICU as "Unknown Texas." Luckily, her family in Texas and Chicago have been identified, and so has Ms. Karen. Her oldest child, Lorenzo Mitchell, is an incredible human being and has become part of my family.

This week we learned that Karen Davenport has been moved from UCMC to a rehab hospital on the North Side - far from her family in Chicago on the South Side. We are seeking emergency assistance to get Lorenzo's mom the best care in the City.

On top of this, we were shocked to find out a few days ago that Karen's partner (and Lorenzo's dad), Lawrence Mitchell Jr., has passed away. Funeral services will be held Friday, February 17th for the family. There are a great many details I haven't included in this story but three things are clear to me:

1. Karen Davenport needs our voices and resources to get the medical help she deserves.

2. The Davenport-Mitchell family is experiencing high trauma and grief and could use immediate financial assistance for funeral services and medical bills, as well as prayers and love.

3. We are all Karen Davenport. She is a harbinger of our City and the way we treat folks struggling with mental illness who are unhoused.

So let's show some love and respect to the Davenport-Mitchell children. Please help us make a difference in this family's life.

With love,

Jocelyn Chou Hare