The Indiana mother who delivered her baby on the side of the road just minutes after being sent home from a hospital is now back in the hospital with post-birth complications.
Mercedes Wells gave birth to her daughter, Alena Ariel, on Nov. 16 on the side of the road — about eight minutes after leaving Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital, according to her family.
Her sister-in-law, Cherise Thompson, wrote on Facebook that Wells had been told to return home because a nurse did not believe she was in active labor.
Wells has since been hospitalized again with what her brother-in-law, Lance Thompson Jr., described as post-birth health issues, The Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Lance said she is now being treated at Community Hospital in Munster, Ind., where she ultimately delivered, due to trauma from the birth, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Leon Wells, Mercedes’ husband, told the outlet that his wife was first transported to University of Chicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Ill., on Sunday, Nov. 23, after she began experiencing excruciating pain and hemorrhaging.
Mercedes was later moved to Community Hospital after staff at the first facility recognized her, Lance added. He said he expects she will remain hospitalized for at least a few days.
“They said she’s going through trauma from the difficult delivery, and they gave her medicine,” Leon said, noting that “she’s breastfeeding and has to take smaller doses, so she can still breastfeed.”
Multiple videos documenting Mercedes’ experience — including footage of her being discharged while in labor and after delivering her baby — circulated widely online.
In statements shared with the media, Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady said the hospital conducted an internal investigation and, as of Nov. 21, the physician and nurse directly involved in Wells’ care are “no longer employed by Franciscan.”
“The recent video shared on social media does not reflect the values of Franciscan Health Crown Point, which include respect for life and compassionate concern,” Grady said. “Respect for life can be compromised when a mother and baby are prematurely discharged.”
He continued, “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.”
Speaking with CNN days after the birth, Mercedes said she never met the doctor who was later dismissed. “[I’ve] never seen her face,” she said, adding that “no doctors ever came into my room.”
On Tuesday, Nov. 25, Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly announced plans to introduce new maternal health legislation developed with Mercedes, called The Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety Act (WELLS) Act. The measure “will urge hospitals and birthing centers to develop and implement a safe discharge plan” for expectant mothers.
The goal, Kelly said in a statement, is “to ensure no other mother goes through the same pain” Mercedes endured while delivering her fourth child.
“Mercedes has given birth three times before and was telling the nurse she was in active labor, but far too often, Black women’s pain is ignored, dismissed, and discharged,” Kelly said. “This cannot continue to happen.”
Kelly plans to introduce the WELLS Act when the House of Representatives returns to session after Thanksgiving, according to the press release.
