When you go to a hospital, the only thing you hope for is care. You don’t have to be renowned or even rich, but there’s a sense that you’re at the very least protected by the Hippocratic Oath. This was not the case for Indiana woman, Mercedes Wells, who was forced to give birth on the roadside after she was prematurely discharged from hospital.
ABC reports Wells had checked into Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital on Nov. 16 after she felt that she was due. But to Wells’ surprise, the hospital staff sent her home with the instructions that she should wait for her labour to progress further before she came back to the hospital.
Welles, however, was convinced that this was the wrong decision. Furthermore, Wells was sent home before she even saw any doctor. She went on to give birth thanks to her husband, Leon Wells, in their car by the roadside. They have since released a video of Mercedes being rolled out of hospital in a wheelchair.
Luckily, the baby is healthy. But Wells’ family said they begged the hospital to please listen and believe Mercedes when she said that she knew her body and felt that she was due. The family is now convinced that it might have been another case of racism and might be considering their legal options.
The hospital’s President and CEO Raymond Grady formally responded saying, “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.”
According to a research conducted by the Pew Research Center, diseases like endometriosis get under-diagnosed in the US in Black women because of situations such as this. One of the main symptoms of the disease is a piercing pelvic pain, but unfortunately, there’s an assumption that Black women should just be able to withstand pain. Per their findings, 70% of Black women have experienced at least one negative interaction with healthcare providers.
Wells’ lawyer refused to give comment about whether they plan on suing the hospital. But it’s highly likely that the hospital and the Wells family will at the very least have discussion behind the scenes before a court case and perhaps a hefty settlement commences.
When Leon Wells described how he was shaken when he realized that he would have to deliver his child, you realize exactly what was at stake for him. They were turned away by a hospital and were basically put in a position where he was worried he could make a mistake and lose a member of his growing family. It’s an unquestionable thought, especially in these times when the current administration is actively making healthcare less accessible already.
The Wells family deserved better.
