Chicago mother says she gave birth on highway after hospital sent her home

Tia Ewing, Fox 32

INDIANA – A Chicago mother says she was forced to give birth on the side of a highway after being told to leave an Indiana hospital, a situation she and her husband call both traumatic and discriminatory.

What we know:

Mercedes Wells and her husband, Leon, said they called Franciscan Health Crown Point hospital ahead of time to alert staff that she was in active labor. When they arrived early Saturday morning, Mercedes said she was ignored and eventually discharged despite being in pain.

Minutes later, while Leon was driving toward Community Hospital in Munster, Indiana, Mercedes said she realized the baby was coming. 

Within eight minutes of leaving the hospital, she gave birth to their daughter, Alena, on the side of the highway. Leon delivered the baby himself without medical assistance [and] Community Hospital provided the care they needed once they arrived.

Head to the original article to see Franciscan Health Crown Point’s response.

Black women are more likely to die during pregnancy than women of other races because of substandard care.

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