Woman gives birth on side of road after being discharged from Indiana hospital, family says

CROWN POINT, Ind. -- One couple's relatives accidental portion they are thrilled to invited a happy, steadfast baby, their acquisition was not 1 they privation for immoderate expectant parents.

Breathing done her contractions, Mercedes Wells was wheeled retired of Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital successful Indiana connected Sunday.

Her household said the infirmary unit had conscionable discharged the parent of aggregate children, telling her to spell location and hold for her labour to progress.

Cherise Thompson says she knew her sister-in-law had been admitted to the hospital, but did not expect what she would perceive next.

"Sunday morning, I woke up to frantic texts from my parent saying, 'Call maine arsenic soon arsenic you aftermath up,'" Cherise said. "My parent was screaming like, 'Your member conscionable delivered his baby! Your member conscionable delivered the baby!' And I'm like, 'What are you talking about?!'"

After the infirmary discharged Mercedes, Cherise said, her brother, Leon, escorted his woman backmost into the motortruck to find different hospital.

Eight minutes into their drive, Leon and Mercedes' girl was calved connected the broadside of the road, delivered by her father.

"He grabbed, like, a blanket, and then, enactment the babe connected Mercedes' chest, my niece connected her chest, and drove the remainder of the mode to the hospital, to Munster Community," Cherise said.

Doctors astatine Munster Community Hospital took over, providing the attraction Cherise says Mercedes pleaded for successful Crown Point.

"Mercedes begged her. She begged her," Cherise said, referring to the nurse. "She said, 'I'm truly successful progressive labor. I tin consciousness it, contractions arsenic I walk. I mean my pain. I'm telling you; I tin consciousness it.' And she conscionable ignored her."

The household is present calling for accountability.

"I privation determination to beryllium immoderate benignant of alteration truthful that different families don't person to acquisition this," said Cherise.

Mercedes' brother-in-law, Lance Thompson Jr, besides weighed in.

"If it implements change, implements strength, implements courageousness for different women that's going done this," Lance said, "Then, that's what I'm looking for, personally."

Franciscan Health Crown Point said successful a statement, successful part, "The video and the comments it has generated are profoundly troubling, and we recognize the interest this has raised. The video is conscionable 1 portion of the accusation we are reviewing arsenic portion of a thorough probe into this alleged incident."

The parents, with their attorney, are readying to clasp a quality league connected Tuesday greeting to speech astir however they program to prosecute justness successful this case.

As for the couple's newborn daughter, Cherise says she and ma are doing well, and that her niece has a mates of heroes arsenic parents.

Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady said successful a statement, "We are alert of the video and the concerns expressed connected societal media regarding the discharge of a large diligent from Franciscan Health Crown Point. We are grateful to larn from online and media reports that some parent and kid are reportedly doing well.

"The video and the comments it has generated are profoundly troubling, and we recognize the interest this has raised. The video is conscionable 1 portion of the accusation we are reviewing arsenic portion of a thorough probe into this alleged incident.

"While diligent privateness laws marque it hard for america to remark much deeply, it is important to enactment that the videos and the communicative surrounding them bash not accurately correspond Franciscan Health Crown Point's Catholic healthcare ministry's values, which see respect for life, compassionate interest and Christian stewardship. Our extremity is to marque everyone who walks done our doors consciousness the emotion of Christ done our actions.

"The world is disparities successful healthcare outcomes beryllium and Franciscan Health Crown Point strives to beryllium portion of the solution, not the problem."

"We stay committed to gathering and exceeding each regulations and champion practices for care, and we volition instrumentality due enactment based connected the findings of our review."