Mercedes Wells was an Indiana mother-to-be who knew she was in labor and about to give birth over the weekend. So, she walked into Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital in the city of Crown Point on Sunday looking for care and compassion. Sadly, her family says she got neither.
According to multiple media reports from the Hoosier state, Wells’ family says hospital staff brushed off her concerns, told her to go home, and sent her right back out the doors WHILE SHE WAS IN LABOR. And this was after she and her husband Leon had already tried to alert the hospital by phone before arriving, only to feel ignored then, too, according to WFLD News.
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By the time the couple left, they were desperate enough to head for another hospital nearby, Munster Community Hospital, because they knew the baby was coming. But they didn’t make it. Just EIGHT minutes after being discharged against her wishes, Mercedes gave birth on the side of the road.
WHAT?!
Her baby girl, Alena Ariel Wells, arrived in the most chaotic conditions imaginable. But mercifully, she showed up healthy at 6 pounds and 18.5 inches long.
Videos of Mercedes being discharged against her will from the hospital and later holding her newborn on the roadside (below) have now gone viral, per WLS News and others. Understandably, they have been fueling outrage far beyond her Indiana community. And now, her family is speaking out publicly, determined that the situation never happens to anyone else.
In a Facebook post about the ordeal, Mercedes recounted pleading with staff by saying:
“I begged to STAY while still upstairs in Labor and delivery Triage.”
She also shared the deep hurt she’s still processing:
“I was treated SO poorly and inhumane. I still cant believe it.”
Her relatives echoed that pain. They said Mercedes was dismissed, disbelieved, and ultimately put in danger. They’ve retained a lawyer and allege that racial bias played a role in how she was treated, too.
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Her sister-in-law, Cherise Thompson, is calling on the community to demand better from a system that failed a vulnerable mom at her most urgent moment. She told WLS News:
“I want there to be some sort of change so that other families don’t have to experience this.”
And her uncle, Lance Thompson, stressed what he hopes can come from this ordeal:
“If it implements change, implements strength, implements courage for other women that’s going through this, then that’s what I’m looking for, personally.”
No kidding…
Meanwhile, Franciscan Health Crown Point’s CEO Raymond Grady responded with a statement acknowledging the concerns stirred by the viral footage and promising a full investigation. He said:
“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.”
Grady also insisted the videos don’t reflect the hospital’s mission:
“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.”
He added that they are grappling with the broader context as well:
“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.”
Here is more on this shocking story (below):
Honestly, there are no words…
[Image via Lance D. Thompson/Leon Wells/Facebook/Facebook]
The post Woman Forced To Give Birth ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD After Hospital Discharges Her: ‘Treated So Poorly’ appeared first on Perez Hilton.