CHICAGO (STNG) ― The Rev. Andrew Greeley, who has been in critical condition since he fell and fractured his skull after a speech in Rosemont earlier this month, is reportedly doing better and his condition has been upgraded, according to the priest's Web site.
Greeley, 80, got his jacket stuck in a taxi door at the Rosemont CTA station after a lecture in Rosemont on Friday, Nov. 7. As the cab began to pull away, he fell to the ground and hit his head, fracturing his skull.
He was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he had been in critical condition up until Monday, when, according to an update on his Web site, his condition was upgraded to fair. Greeley is reportedly "doing much better" according to the update.
Greeley, who was wearing a Barack Obama baseball cap when he fell, suffered bleeding on the brain. "He was so excited about the outcome of the elections, as anyone who knows him might have guessed," the Web site said.
Doctors installed a monitor in his skull to gauge pressure on his brain, according to his friend and attorney Terry Goggin. CT scans are also being used to monitor his injuries.
Greeley was transferred from the hospital's emergency room to its surgical intensive care unit. Other than the implantation of the pressure monitor, he has not had surgery, Goggin said.
Francis Cardinal George has visited him and prayed at his side, according to the Web site.
Father Greeley's family has been in contact with the young California couple who helped when they saw the accident. The woman called 911 immediately as he used her scarf to stop the bleeding. They both kept him warm and talked to him, according to the update on Greeley's Web site. The man is training to be an EMT, the update said. Father Greeley's family has thanked them and referred to them as his guardian angels. "We all hope their story will inspire others to act as Good Samaritans," the family said.
The outspoken Catholic scholar, who writes a regular column for the Chicago Sun-Times, has written more than 50 novels, including some best sellers.
He was lecturing at the Religious Education Association conference in Rosemont before the incident. Greeley was "very generous and very funny," association executive secretary W. Alan Smith said.
After his speech, Greeley, who lives in the John Hancock Center, hailed a cab for the short trip to the CTA station on River Road.
"You know, he's a fighter and a tough guy," Goggin said. "He's got everything they want in a patient. All the signs are very positive."
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