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CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
Chicago man is an inspiration after being born with gastroschisis, with organs outside body
A man from Chicago's West Side continues to beat the odds despite being born with a rare condition in which his organs were outside his body. Cases of the genetic condition keep increasing across the nation, and Darryl Hall of the Austin neighborhood is trying to inspire other patients and families. No one would know Hall's health battle with just a quick glance. "Just by looking back at life, just understanding that I've been through a rough patch, you know, going through life as far as my health condition," he said. Hall, of Chicago's Austin neighborhood, was born with gastroschisis, a condition in which a baby's internal organs are on the outside of the body at birth. "Constructed through a lot of surgeries growing up," said Hall. Hall recalls his early years were different. In elementary school, he was not able to do what other kids could do — with his parents keeping him from playing sports. "As I got older, I started to realize all the things that they protected me from was really what built my mentality, built my structure, and just built my understanding for my own condition," said Hall. Gastroschisis is a condition that affects around one in 2,000 babies annually in the U.S. Despite surgeries, digestion can still limit patients and keep them from gaining weight. Yet at 23, Hall has overcome his condition. He works as a chef — a love he developed while watching cooking shows with his mother as a child. But while watching those shows, he also saw chefs making tasty looking dishes that he couldn't eat. The food limitations that Hall had as a child allowed him to take that passion to wet his palate and prepare plates with love for others. Hall is also an inspiring music artist. Despite prevailing over his condition, Hall still walks into Northwestern Memorial Hospital for regular checkups. "Darryl's success is about as rare as he is as an individual, to be honest with you," said Dr. Harold Boutte, a gastroenterologist at Northwestern Medicine. Boutte has treated Hall for years. "It's lifelong, and so that's kind of why I started doing this as a physician, because I get to know my patients," Boutte said. The two formed a bond. "It's never a day when he doesn't ask me, 'OK, what's going on?'" said Hall. "I have to go in depth about what's going on with me, and it makes me feel I have that support, that team behind me." July is Gastroschisis Awareness Month. While Hall is a success story, the trend shows more infants are being born with the condition — but it is not clear why. "When conditions are rare and genetic, it's hard to study, it's hard to research, it's hard to do trials on those kind of things," said Boutte, "and so you're usually reacting to what you're finding, as opposed to doing something proactively about it." Hall tells his story to offer hope to impacted families. "You can't give up on yourself or just feeling as if all hope is lost because, you know. it's a journey. It's part of your journey," said Hall. "That's what builds character. That's what what's builds you."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Chicago homeowner was shocked to find his property listed for sale online — what to know about property fraud
Selling your home can be cause for celebration — unless, of course, you never actually listed it. This is the situation a Chicago man recently found himself in, after discovering a property he owned was listed for sale without his knowledge or consent. Frank Diaz had purchased an abandoned fixer-upper on Chicago's West Side with the intention of flipping it. His plan was to turn the workers cottage into a three-unit building, according to CBS News Chicago. 'That's what I do. I fix them up and then rent or sell them,' Diaz told the news outlet. But that plan was nearly derailed when he discovered someone else had put the property up for sale — without his knowledge or permission. Don't miss Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 6 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it How a mystery realtor listed the home without the owner's consent In late May, Diaz discovered that his property was listed for sale, complete with marketing videos, on a real estate broker's social media page and on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), a property listing and information portal for licensed real estate professionals. The house was advertised as an off-market, all-cash deal for $200,000. Licensed realtor Anthony Kirkland with Coldwell Banker was listed as the agent on the property. 'I have never met him before,' Diaz told CBS News Chicago. Yet, some of the social media videos were taken inside the house, leading Diaz to conclude that whoever filmed those videos had been trespassing. The locks had also been changed and a realtor's lockbox was attached to the door. Kirkland told CBS News Chicago that 'somebody was posing as the owner' and that he removed the listing once made aware. However, despite being the agent who posted the property, he declined to say who had initially claimed to be the owner or who had given him the go-ahead to list it. Diaz has since filed an ethics complaint with the Chicago Association of Realtors. 'You do your job as a realtor and you reach out,' Diaz told CBS News Chicago, 'and if they would have done enough digging, they would have known my number, and they would have called me if I wanted to sell the property.' In a statement to CBS News Chicago, the association said that when a complaint is lodged, 'it triggers a formal due process that includes a hearing' that can result in a fine, suspension, expulsion in membership and possibly referral to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. 'I would like to know what happened,' Diaz said. 'Someone had listed my property without my consent.' Read more: Americans are 'revenge saving' to survive — but millions only get a measly 1% on their savings. Title theft is a growing problem Diaz isn't the only victim of this type of crime. Earlier this year the Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a statement warning property owners and real estate agents about an increasing number of 'quitclaim deed fraud' incidents, which is also known as home title theft. The perpetrators forge documents to record a fake transfer of property ownership. They can then sell or rent the property, 'forcing the real owners to head to court to reclaim their property.' 'Deed fraud often involves identity theft where criminals will use personal information gleaned from the internet or elsewhere to assume your identity or claim to represent you to steal your property,' according to FBI Boston. But deed fraud takes many forms. For example, fraudsters can search public records to find vacant land or properties without mortgages or liens and then ask a real estate agent to list them. Or, an elderly homeowner could be targeted by family members and manipulated into transferring over the property into their name. While the FBI doesn't keep statistics specifically related to quitclaim deed fraud, there were 58,141 reported victims of real estate fraud in the U.S. between 2019 and 2023, according to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — adding up to a whopping $1.3 billion in losses. So, if you own a vacant property, you'll want to know how to protect yourself. Protect yourself from quitclaim deed fraud The only way to truly protect yourself is with a homeowner's policy of title insurance, David Fleck, a real estate fraud attorney, told This is different from an owners policy of title insurance because it helps protect you against fraud after the purchase of the property, whereas traditional title insurance only protects you prior to the purchase. 'All title insurance companies, all the big ones, now offer it,' Fleck told To reduce your risk, the FBI recommends the following: Set up title alerts with your county clerk's office, if available Create Google Alerts or other online monitoring for your name or property address Watch for red flags like missing utility or tax bills, or sudden usage spikes at a vacant property Avoid remote closings when selling or buying property and verify identity in person Ask for proof of ownership, such as recent utility bills or tax statements, before working with a new seller It may seem far-fetched that a complete stranger could sell your property without your knowledge or permission, but it happens — and being aware that this type of crime exists is the first step in protecting yourself. What to read next Robert Kiyosaki warns of 'massive unemployment' in the US due to the 'biggest change' in history — and says this 1 group of 'smart' Americans will get hit extra hard. Are you one of them? How much cash do you plan to keep on hand after you retire? Here are 3 of the biggest reasons you'll need a substantial stash of savings in retirement Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Woman seriously injured in hit-and-run crash on Chicago's West Side
A 58-year-old woman was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash on Chicago's West Side on Monday night. According to Chicago police, the woman was walking on the side of the street, in the 500 block of North Pulaski Road, when she was hit by a car around 10:50 p.m. Police said the victim sustained trauma to her body and was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where she was listed in serious condition. Police have not released details on the vehicle wanted in connection with the crash. No arrests have been made. Area Four detectives are investigating.
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
2-year-old boy suffers gunshot wound on Chicago's West Side
A 2-year-old boy suffered what was believed to be an accidental gunshot wound Monday evening in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago's West Side, police said. At 8:26 p.m., police were called to a home in the 400 block of North Lawndale Avenue after the toddler entered a bedroom where an unsecured gun was located, police said. A man heard a loud noise, and found the 2-year-old boy with a graze would to the left wrist, police said. The boy was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in good condition, police said. No one was custody late Monday. A weapon was recovered on the scene. Harrison Area detectives are investigating.
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
3 teenage girls struck, injured by SUV on Chicago's West Side
A sport-utility vehicle struck and injured three teenage girls in the South Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side Sunday night. At 7:38 p.m., a 40-year-old man was driving a white sport-utility vehicle in the 4800 block of West Jackson Boulevard near Cicero Avenue, and then turned the corner to head south — striking three teenage girls who were crossing the sidewalk, police said. The driver stopped his car and waited for the Chicago police and fire departments to respond to the scene, police said. The victims — ages 13, 15, and 16 — suffered trauma to their bodies and were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County in fair condition, police said. Citations were issued to the driver.
