Name: Indiana hospital under fire after mom discharged in active labor
Uploaded: 2025-11-20T01:37:55.232Z
Duration: 1 min 27 s
Description: Two weeks before she was scheduled to give birth, Mercedes Wells fought back tears as staff at Franciscan Health in Crown Point, Indiana, wheeled her out of the hospital. Her contractions were only one minute apart when a nurse told her she was being discharged.

Two weeks before she was scheduled to give birth, Mercedes Wells fought back tears as staff at Franciscan Health in Crown Point, Indiana, wheeled her out of the hospital. Her contractions were only one minute apart when a nurse told her she was being discharged.

Crown Point

Mercedes Wells, two weeks before her due date, was discharged from Franciscan Health in Crown Point, Indiana, despite experiencing severe pain and contractions one minute apart. Wells alleges she was not examined by a doctor and was told by hospital staff that she was not far enough along in labor to be admitted. 

Shortly after leaving the hospital, Wells gave birth to her fourth child in a car while her husband was driving her to another facility. Franciscan Health has acknowledged the incident and stated that a thorough investigation is underway.

Indiana hospital under fire after mom discharged in active labor

Imagine knowing you're about to give birth, but nobody at the hospital believes you. Instead, the baby is born minutes later in a car. Elaine Quijano has a mom's story. Two weeks before her due date, Mercedes Wells fought back tears as staff at Franciscan Health in Crown Point, Indiana, wheeled her out of the hospital Sunday. I was in excruciating pain. She's seen me in pain and agony, and I guess she still perceives me to not be in labor. She'd arrived hours earlier and alleges she was never seen by a doctor. Her contractions were only one minute apart when a nurse told her she was being discharged. She's like, well, if you're not further along in your stentometers, then, you know, we got to send you home. My daughter is being kicked out of this hospital, and she's in active labor. Her husband, Leon, helped her into the front seat of their waiting truck and tried to rush her to the next nearest hospital. But eight minutes later, she gave birth to their fourth child, Alina. It's God's grace. It's totally God's grace. I was scared. In a statement, Franciscan Health said they understand the concern this has raised and are conducting a thorough investigation. Wells says she's been deeply hurt by the experience. I was stripped of my dignity because I was treated less than an animal.

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