Advocate Health and Hospitals Corp. will pay $7.5 million to the Northbrook grandparents of a 9-year-old girl who was disabled as the result of alleged medical malpractice during her August 2002 birth at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn.

The lawsuit, filed in March 2009 by Tom and Donna Tribble, the girl’s legal guardians, alleged that doctors and nursing staff delayed in responding to signs of fetal distress before the birth of Elliana Tribble.

The baby, as a result, “suffered oxygen depravation for an extended period of time,” causing brain damage, and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after her first birthday, according to the family’s attorney, Frank Morrissey.

“She’ll be dependent on others for all her daily living needs the rest of her life,” he said.

In settling the case, the Oak Lawn hospital doesn’t admit that doctors or other staff did anything wrong, Morrissey said. A Cook County judge is expected to approve the settlement this week.

Elliana was born to Joan Skoda and Sean Tribble, son of Tom and Donna, who at the time were living on Chicago’s Southwest Side. While they didn’t marry and the Tribbles gained custody of Elliana about five years ago, the parents “are definitely involved in her life,” Donna Tribble said.

“On a day-to-day basis she is a very happy, content girl,” she said, adding that Elliana listens and reacts to “all kinds of music,” including classical and jazz, and is a big fan of Justin Timberlake.

Physically, Elliana is “extremely limited,” needing daily assistance and using a wheelchair. The Tribbles plan to use some of the settlement money to get her a motorized wheelchair she can control through head movements and to widen doorways in their Northbrook home.

The money will “ensure Elliana’s life (is taken care of) when I’m not around anymore,” Donna, 59, said. “Money isn’t going to replace your daughter’s life.”

Morrissey said attorneys for Advocate approached him about settling the lawsuit this summer. Foti Chronopoulos, a well-known obstetrician and gynecologist in Oak Lawn whose practice is near Christ, was named as a defendant in the lawsuit but did not take part in settlement talks, Morrissey said.

Morrissey’s firm concentrates in medical malpractice, and this is its second settlement with Advocate this year.

In February, the company agreed to pay $4.5 million to a woman who went into Christ Medical Center for neck surgery and, due to alleged negligence by hospital staff, suffered a spinal cord injury that left her a quadriplegic.