On Friday night, March 18, 2022 (“Match Day”), Christopher Gonzales-Alabastro, a Northwestern Urology resident, was hit by a speeding SUV, thrown 40 feet, and terribly injured; the details are horrific.

Chris had worked all day in the clinic, and as he left, called it “a really good day” because that afternoon, 2 of his friends texted him that they had matched in excellent training programs. Chris was delighted for them. Later that evening, returning from dinner, Chris was walking with a friend in a marked crosswalk in Chicago’s “South Loop” when the SUV struck him. He sustained a traumatic brain injury, facial fractures, leg, pelvic and abdominal injuries and was rushed to the emergency room comatose and in critical condition.

After several emergency operations, 2 weeks in the neurosurgical ICU and another 2 weeks in the surgical ICU, he was transferred as an inpatient in the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, a leading rehabilitation hospital in Chicago. Presently, in addition to the devoted support of his friends and family, he is receiving physical, occupational and speech therapy, is making progress and shows determination to recover.

After discharge from the rehabilitation hospital, he will require 24–7 supportive care for some months, possibly further orthopedic surgery and, likely, continued rehabilitation beyond that.

To support Chris and his family, the Northwestern urology residency program director, Dr. Stephanie Kielb, and the residency program staff, Dr. Kelly Maxwell, Kelly Ross and Mary Kate Keeter, along with his fellow urology residents, initiated a GoFundMe for his care and continued rehabilitation.

There has been a tremendous outpouring of concern and support for this unfortunate young doctor who is beloved by all. Chris is an outstanding resident, having received several awards and much unsolicited praise from consulting services, medical students and support staff due to his collaborative sprit, kindness and giving nature. He is a role model for the junior residents and, as one of our residents commented, “Chris is the beating heart of our department.” A graduate of the University of California at Berkley and UCLA’s School of Medicine, Chris was completing his third year of the 6-year urology residency program at the time of the incident. It is so poignant, knowing how hard he has worked and how close he was to reaching his goal of becoming a urologist, that his life has been turned around in a split second.

The faculty and residents at Northwestern deeply appreciate everyone who has reached out to express their support and concern and made donations thus far; urology is full of truly wonderful people.

We encourage the larger urology community to support Chris’s recovery by contributing to his GoFundMe at https://gofund.me/91bfcc55.