Pregnancy is one of the biggest natural causes of death among women, and labor stories can already range from tender to terrifying. And what happened to Mercedes Wells in Indiana feels just awful for anyone with even an ounce of empathy. This Black mother reportedly begged hospital staff to listen as she told them she was in active labor. But guess what they did instead? The hospital wheeled her out and discharged her.
This forced her to bring her baby into the world inside a truck eight minutes later. Now, this whole ordeal has been captured in a viral video. The community and Mercedes’ family demand answers from Franciscan Health Crown Point Hospital. The hospital, on the other hand, says that they are investigating the incident and urging the public not to judge based solely on the videos online.
According to ABC News, Mercedes Wells arrived at Franciscan Health Crown Point in Indiana on Sunday as she knew she was ready to deliver her baby. Her family told reporters she made it VERY clear to the staff that the baby was coming now.
Her sister-in-law, Cherise Thompson, told ABC 7 Chicago that Mercedes repeatedly told the nurse she was in labor. Thompson says the pleas were dismissed. “Mercedes begged her. She begged her,” she said. But instead of being monitored or even reassessed, she was wheeled out and told by the staff of this Indiana hospital to go home to wait for her labor to “progress.” But it already had!
medical MISOGYNOIR (misogyny against Black women specifically)(noir = Black)
medical misogynoir is why Black women are 3x more likely to die in pregnancy-related causes than white women
Black women’s pain are regularly dismissed/ignored, especially in medical settings pic.twitter.com/jnVHhEGRm5
— Witty Witchy Whimsical Weird Weed-smoking Woman✨ (@TheeDangerosa) November 14, 2025
Just eight minutes into the drive back home, Mercedes’ husband (Leon Wells) had to deliver their baby all by himself in their truck. He later documented the aftermath in a video that spread across social media. In a Facebook post shared by him, we can see his wife holding their newborn wrapped in a blanket, and her face proves how exhausted and hurt she felt.
In his post, Leon writes:
“My wife gave birth 8 minutes later. I delivered our baby in the truck! After being discharged from the hospital! First Texas, now Northwest Indiana!! Justice will be served!!”
In a statement to ABC News, Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady acknowledged the concern and called the video “deeply troubling.” This Indiana hospital’s website says they have personalized birthing and offer patient-centered care and collaborative birth plans. But for many viewers, rightfully so, that and what happened to Mercedes feel worlds apart. Right?
And just days earlier, another video went viral out of Mesquite, Texas, showing another Black woman (Karrie Jones) being ignored in a hospital waiting room while in painful labor. Her baby was born 12 minutes later. The nurse in that video calmly continued her paperwork as Jones was in pain. For most, these are reminders of a documented crisis.
Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to white women, according to the CDC. Experts have pointed to systemic bias as a major contributor, just like in this Indiana case. So Mercedes’ story was about a history of Black women being told to calm down while their symptoms were written off.
But how many more viral videos will it take before the system changes.
NEXT UP: ‘She Was Just Doing Her Job’—Indiana Mother of Four Killed After Entering Wrong Home
