(Crown Point, IN) – A Northwest Indiana family is demanding accountability after a mother was discharged from Franciscan Health Crown Point while in labor and delivered her baby just minutes later on the side of a busy highway.
Mercedes Wells, 38, arrived at the hospital on Nov. 16, 2025, with her water broken and contractions roughly one minute apart, according to the family. Despite her symptoms and a dilation reading of three centimeters, Wells said staff determined she was not yet in active labor and discharged her.
Within eight minutes of leaving the hospital, Wells gave birth to her daughter, Alena, in the front seat of her husband’s pickup truck as the couple drove toward another medical facility.
A video recorded by Wells’ mother, later shared widely on social media, shows Wells in visible distress as she is escorted out of the hospital. In interviews since, Wells said her concerns were dismissed despite her having given birth previously.
“I knew something wasn’t right,” Wells said. “I begged to stay, but I felt like no one was listening.”
Her husband, Leon Wells, said the delivery happened suddenly as they were driving. He called 911 while pulling over and ultimately delivered the baby himself before first responders arrived. The family then continued to Community Hospital in Munster, where they say medical staff were prepared to receive them immediately.
Franciscan Health Crown Point acknowledged failures in care days later. In a public statement, hospital President and CEO Raymond Grady said the incident did not reflect the organization’s values and admitted that staff failed to listen to a patient in distress. Grady said the physician and nurse involved were no longer employed by the hospital.
The hospital also announced policy changes, including mandatory cultural competency training for labor and delivery staff and a new requirement that all pregnant patients discharged from the labor and delivery unit be physically examined by a physician before leaving the hospital. Grady later met with the Wells family in person and reiterated the hospital’s commitment to preventing similar incidents.
The case has intensified broader conversations about maternal health outcomes in Indiana, particularly among Black mothers. Data from the Indiana Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have consistently shown that Indiana ranks near the bottom nationally for maternal mortality, with Black women facing a significantly higher risk of pregnancy-related complications and death compared with White women. State reviews have also found that a large majority of maternal deaths are preventable with timely and appropriate care.
Those disparities have drawn increasing attention from state and federal lawmakers. In response to the Wells case, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., introduced federal legislation known as the WELLS Act, or Women Expansion for Learning and Labor Safety Act. The proposal would require hospitals nationwide to follow standardized “safe discharge” protocols for laboring patients, including documented medical justification, travel risk assessments and confirmation that patients understand and agree with discharge decisions.
Kelly said the legislation is intended to prevent mothers from being sent home too soon and to ensure consistent standards of care across hospitals.
While baby Alena has since gone home, the Wells family says the physical and emotional impact remains. Mercedes Wells is undergoing physical therapy related to injuries from the unassisted birth, and the family says the infant has experienced health concerns that continue to be monitored by doctors.
“This should never have happened,” Leon Wells said. “We’re grateful they’re alive, but no family should have to go through this.”
The family says it hopes sharing their experience will lead to lasting changes in how hospitals listen to and care for expectant mothers, both in Indiana and nationwide.
