Vince Young
03-11-2005, 11:27 PM
CHICAGO (AP) - The mother of Illinois coach Bruce Weber died Friday after surgery to repair a torn aorta, a hospital spokesman said.
Dawn Weber, 81, had undergone surgery at Rush University Medical Center after complaining of chest pains before the top-ranked Illini beat Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament.
Hospital spokesman John Pontarelli said Weber, of Milwaukee, died about 6 p.m.
The aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart. The tear was described as a splitting of the inner layers of the aorta, allowing blood to flow between them.
Bruce Weber's status for Saturday's tournament semfinal against Minnesota is undetermined, said Illinois sports information director Kent Brown. Brown added that a decision may not be made until before the game.
Brown said the coach was at the hospital when his mother died.
Medical staff at the arena attended to Dawn Weber, who is a widow, before she was taken to the hospital, Brown said.
"She was here at the (United Center) with a cousin to pick up her tickets before the game when she felt chest pains," he said.
Bruce Weber's wife, Megan, told her husband of his mother's illness after the Illini defeated Northwestern 68-51 in the tournament quarterfinals.
"Megan asked us not to tell him before the game," Brown said, adding that if Dawn Weber's condition at the time was dire the coach would have been informed immediately.
Weber left the arena for the hospital shortly after the game.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/3457052
Dawn Weber, 81, had undergone surgery at Rush University Medical Center after complaining of chest pains before the top-ranked Illini beat Northwestern in the Big Ten tournament.
Hospital spokesman John Pontarelli said Weber, of Milwaukee, died about 6 p.m.
The aorta is the main artery that carries blood from the heart. The tear was described as a splitting of the inner layers of the aorta, allowing blood to flow between them.
Bruce Weber's status for Saturday's tournament semfinal against Minnesota is undetermined, said Illinois sports information director Kent Brown. Brown added that a decision may not be made until before the game.
Brown said the coach was at the hospital when his mother died.
Medical staff at the arena attended to Dawn Weber, who is a widow, before she was taken to the hospital, Brown said.
"She was here at the (United Center) with a cousin to pick up her tickets before the game when she felt chest pains," he said.
Bruce Weber's wife, Megan, told her husband of his mother's illness after the Illini defeated Northwestern 68-51 in the tournament quarterfinals.
"Megan asked us not to tell him before the game," Brown said, adding that if Dawn Weber's condition at the time was dire the coach would have been informed immediately.
Weber left the arena for the hospital shortly after the game.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/3457052