{"id":410063,"date":"2025-11-28T06:49:34","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T06:49:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/410063\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T06:49:34","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T06:49:34","slug":"mom-who-was-turned-away-while-in-labor-back-in-hospital-family-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/410063\/","title":{"rendered":"Mom Who Was Turned Away While in Labor Back in Hospital, Family Says"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<p> NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mercedes Wells, the mom who gave birth on the side of the road after she was discharged from a hospital while in active labor, has been hospitalized<\/li>\n<li>Family said Wells is experiencing post-birth health issues, including excruciating pain and hemorrhaging<\/li>\n<li>A member of the U.S. House of Representatives will soon propose a new bill aimed at improving protections for expectant moms<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_4-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The mom who <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/woman-gave-birth-on-side-of-road-after-being-discharged-from-hospital-while-in-labor-family-says-11852618\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"internalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gave birth on the side of the road minutes after she was discharged from an Indiana hospital<\/a> has been hospitalized with post-birth health issues.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_6-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Mercedes Wells reportedly gave birth to her daughter, Alena Ariel, on the side of the road on Nov. 16 \u2014\u00a0just eight minutes after leaving Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_8-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The mom said she was told to go home because a nurse did not believe she was in active labor, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/joystormmusic\/posts\/pfbid0311zciLht4dFBBdbaCU96vgKe5TTjCQ1GPdR8G2oUeM4DsGi2DpUt4GvTNDp32pJ4l\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook post<\/a> shared by her sister-in-law, Cherise Thompson.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_10-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Wells is now back in the hospital with what her brother-in-law, Lance Thompson Jr., described as post-birth health issues, <a href=\"https:\/\/chicago.suntimes.com\/news\/2025\/11\/24\/dolton-mom-franciscan-health-crown-point\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Chicago Sun-Times<\/a> reported.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_12-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Lance said Wells is being cared for at Community Hospital in Munster, Ind., where she gave birth, due to trauma she experienced while giving birth to Alena, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2025\/11\/24\/dolton-woman-told-to-leave-while-in-labor-back-at-hospital-with-complications\/\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Chicago Tribune<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_16-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Leon Wells, Mercedes\u2019 husband, told the paper that his wife was transported to University of Chicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Ill., on Sunday, Nov. 23, after experiencing excruciating pain and hemorrhaging.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_18-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Mercedes was later transported to Community Hospital after staff at the first hospital recognized the mom, Lance added. He expects his wife will be in the hospital for at least a couple of days.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_20-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cThey said she\u2019s going through trauma from the difficult delivery, and they gave her medicine,\u201d the dad said, \u201cbut she\u2019s breastfeeding and has to take smaller doses, so she can still breastfeed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_22-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Multiple videos of Mercedes&#8217; ordeal, including her being discharged from the hospital while in labor and after she gave birth to her baby, went viral.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_26-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> In statements obtained by PEOPLE, Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady said the hospital investigated and, as of Nov. 21, the physician and nurse directly involved with the mother&#8217;s care are &#8220;no longer employed by Franciscan.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_28-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cThe recent video shared on social media does not reflect the values of Franciscan Health Crown Point, which include respect for life and compassionate concern,&#8221; Grady said. &#8220;Respect for life can be compromised when a mother and baby are prematurely discharged.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_30-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> He added, &#8220;Compassionate concern is absent when a caregiver fails to listen to a patient who is clearly in pain and vulnerable. The video was difficult to watch.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_32-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Speaking with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kZZnwnGsCTQ\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a> just days after giving birth, Mercedes said she never met the doctor who was let go. &#8220;[I&#8217;ve] never seen her face,&#8221; the mom explained, adding that &#8220;no doctors ever came into my room.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_34-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly <a href=\"https:\/\/robinkelly.house.gov\/media-center\/press-releases\/rep-kelly-announces-wells-act-new-maternal-health-bill-honor-mercedes\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced<\/a> plans to introduce new maternal health legislation with Mercedes known as The Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety Act (WELLS) Act, which \u201cwill urge hospitals and birthing centers to develop and implement a safe discharge plan\u201d for expectant mothers.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_36-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> <strong>Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/forms.dotdashmeredith.com\/people-news-inline\" data-component=\"link\" data-source=\"inlineLink\" data-type=\"externalLink\" data-ordinal=\"1\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_38-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The goal, Kelly said in a statement, is \u201cto ensure no other mother goes through the same pain\u201d Mercedes experienced while giving birth to her fourth child.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_40-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> \u201cMercedes has given birth three times before and was telling the nurse she was in active labor, but far too often, Black women\u2019s pain is ignored, dismissed, and discharged,\u201d Kelley said. \u201cThis cannot continue to happen.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_42-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Kelly plans to introduce the WELLS Act once the House of Representatives is back in session after Thanksgiving, according to the press release.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEED TO KNOW Mercedes Wells, the mom who gave birth on the side of the road after she&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":410064,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[210,1141,1142,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-410063","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-care","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-health-care","10":"tag-healthcare","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115625994873765538","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410063"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410063\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}