Couple sues over privacy in media coverage of triplets' births

A Rolling Meadows couple has filed suit against an Oak Lawn hospital and three Chicago news outlets over coverage of the birth of their triplets in February.

Cynthia and Bryan Lindgren filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court against Advocate Christ Medical Center, the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and WLS-TV Channel 7. It charges the hospital and media outlets with "unreasonable intrusion," "public disclosure of private facts" and "appropriation of name or likeness."

According to the suit, the Lindgrens had the fourth set of triplets born in the hospital in three weeks, resulting in heightened news interest. Yet their babies were also born seven weeks premature.

The suit says a nurse told Cynthia Lindgren she'd have to sign a release consenting to the coverage, but she said she'd have to discuss it with her husband. "Despite not having consented orally or in writing," the suit states, "defendant Advocate Christ allowed certain media outlets" into the neonatal intensive-care unit.

The stories resulted in unauthorized photos being taken, as well as the release of the infants' premature condition and "highly private health-related details."

The suit seeks in excess of $50,000 in damages on each of its three counts.

A hospital spokesman said he had not yet seen the suit and could not comment without seeing it.