Woman gives birth in car minutes after hospital told her to leave, despite being in obvious pain, family says
By Asal Rezaei
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Indiana (WBBM) — A mother says she gave birth to her baby in a car minutes after being turned away from a hospital over the weekend in Crown Point, Indiana. Video shows her being wheeled out by hospital staff, and she’s clearly in pain.
Mercedes Wells and her baby are now recovering at a different hospital in Munster.
The videos posted by her family online have quickly gone viral. The footage shows Wells being pushed down the hallway in a wheelchair at Franciscan Health Crown Point.
Her family said she was in active labor, but hospital staff told her that because she was only dilated three centimeters, she would have to come back later.
Wells’ sister-in-law, Cherice Joy Thomspon, said they were visiting family in Indiana, and the baby wasn’t due for another couple of weeks.
“I feel like my family’s rights have been violated,” she said.
Eight minutes after being discharged from Franciscan Health, Wells’ baby was born in the family’s car, according to Thompson.
“She said, ‘I’ve got to push.’ … He was driving with one hand, ripped her pants off with the other hand, and looked down, and he said he could see the baby’s head. And he was like, ‘Oh my God, here’s the baby’s head,'” Thompson said. “He grabbed a blanket, caught the baby, and then put the baby on my sister-in-law’s chest, Mercedes’ chest, and the umbilical, everything was still attached, and they kept on driving.”
The family said 911 dispatchers were on the phone with them at the time, and led them to Community Hospital in Munster, where they were welcomed with open arms. Thompson said they’re grateful for the staff at Community Hospital, where Wells and her baby were recovering on Monday.
“911 was able to call the hospital and give them notice that they were coming, and so there were 15 doctors and nurses outside waiting for them to arrive,” Thompson said.
She called her brother a hero.
“He was able to be calm and deliver his baby in that kind of pressure,” she said.
Thompson shared how Wells is feeling now.
“When I went to the hospital yesterday, when I opened up the door, Mercedes saw me, she just started crying, because she feels violated, she feels unheard. You know, she feels dismissed,” she said.
The family said they hope hospital staff who turned Wells away are held responsible.
Franciscan Health said they’ve opened an internal investigation into what happened.
Full statement from Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady “We are aware of the video and the concerns expressed on social media regarding the discharge of a pregnant patient from Franciscan Health Crown Point. We are grateful to learn from online and media reports that both mother and child are reportedly doing well.
“The video and the comments it has generated are deeply troubling, and we understand the concern this has raised. The video is just one part of the information we are reviewing as part of a thorough investigation into this alleged incident.
“While patient privacy laws make it difficult for us to comment more deeply, it is important to note that the videos and the narrative surrounding them do not accurately represent Franciscan Health Crown Point’s Catholic healthcare ministry’s values, which include respect for life, compassionate concern and Christian stewardship. Our goal is to make everyone who walks through our doors feel the love of Christ through our actions.
“The reality is disparities in healthcare outcomes exist and Franciscan Health Crown Point strives to be part of the solution, not the problem.
“We remain committed to meeting and exceeding all regulations and best practices for care, and we will take appropriate action based on the findings of our review.”
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