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Alena Wells could have entered the world surrounded by her family and medical professionals.
Instead, she was born on Nov. 16 in the front seat of a Chevrolet Silverado as her father, Leon Wells, rushed from one Indiana hospital to another.
Wells was driving away from Franciscan Health Crown Point, the hospital that he says discharged his wife while she was in active labor. His mother-in-law filmed the exit in astonishment.
Franciscan Health President and CEO Raymond Grady has acknowledged that Alena's mother, Mercedes, was discharged just moments before she gave birth. Grady said a doctor and nurse lost their job; the hospital publicly apologized; and Grady promised policy changes and cultural competency training for all labor and delivery staff.
“There was no kind of care, no type of empathy,” Leon Wells, 43, of the Chicago suburb of Dalton, told USA TODAY on Nov. 22. “No type of concern for my wife as a human being.”
Alena is Mercedes Wells’ fourth child. Her birth is sparking advocacy around disparate health outcomes for Black women and babies.
“We failed to listen to Mrs. Wells’ concerns,” Grady said in a Nov. 21 statement. “As an experienced mother who publicly acknowledged having previously given birth at our hospital with a positive experience, she knew something was not right.”
Lauri Keagle, a spokesperson for Franciscan Health, declined to comment further to USA TODAY.
Mom knew she was in labor
The family arrived around midnight on Nov. 16 while Leon Wells, who works in investing and has a pet business, was on a business trip. Alena was due Nov. 29, but Leon Wells was afraid to leave his pregnant wife, a homemaker, alone, so he brought her along.
The night of Nov. 15, they knew she had begun labor. They found Franciscan, the closest hospital. Her contractions were closer and closer as they drove to Franciscan, a hospital rooted in Catholic tradition, while the couple, from the same Illinois hamlet as Pope Leo XIV, listened to gospel music. Contractions went from 30 minutes, down to 15, increasing as they drove, Leon Wells said.
Mercedes Wells had called prior to arriving, her husband said, but it was a 10-minute wait before they were seen by medical staff as they were brought to the labor and delivery unit’s triage room, according to Leon Wells. About 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital, Mercedes Wells said her water broke while she was in the bathroom. Contractions continued to increase. Leon Wells said the family never saw a doctor.
Leon Wells can't understand how his wife ended up being discharged at 6 a.m. and the hospital has offered no public explanation.
He does know Mercedes Wells had no doubt she was in labor.
“My wife’s like, ‘No, I’m in labor. This is my fourth child. I know I’m in active labor. I know I’m about to have this baby,'" Leon Wells said.
Forced to deliver elsewhere
On the first floor, they were met by security, Leon Wells said. Another video showed them rolling Mercedes Wells outside, where temperatures were in the 30s, according to local National Weather Service readings. They asked to wait inside as Leon Wells went to get his truck.
Leon Wells said his diesel truck takes time to warm up. Once he got her in front of the hospital, they went to another hospital, the Community Hospital, in Munster, Indiana.
“Of course I wanted to get upset, but I could not,” Leon Wells said. “I know I had a bigger mission here, and I didn’t want my anger or me being upset to kind of get in the way of my wife having a good delivery.”
Six minutes into the drive, Leon Wells said his wife said she had to push. He called 911, but they couldn’t wait for the ambulance. She asked him to pull her pants down while he drove. He looked down and saw their baby’s head.
With no gloves, he helped her get the baby out. Alena was born at 6:28 a.m. They had blankets in preparation for a delivery, and video showed Alena wrapped up, looking pale.
Eventually, they made it to the Community Hospital, where they spent two nights. The Wells family is now at home.
Seeking to improve Black maternal health outcomes
The Wells are looking for changes to hospital policies and procedures so this doesn’t happen to another family.
“Everybody should be treated fairly,” Leon Wells said. “Everybody should be treated kind. And if you see something, say something.”
Hundreds of women die each year during childbirth or within weeks of having their child, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black women are far more likely to die, with a maternal mortality rate three times higher than for White women and other women, as USA TODAY reported.
Grady, Franciscan’s president and CEO, said the hospital has mandated cultural competency training for all labor and delivery staff. A physician must also examine all pregnant patients before they leave the hospital, he added.
In the coming days, the Wells family is meeting with Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Illinois, their local congresswoman. Kelly chairs the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, and she plans to introduce new legislation to prevent similar situations around patient discharge.
"Far too many women experience this trauma and pain, and some tragically die," Kelly said in a statement. "It's clear that this is a systemic issue, and it cannot continue to happen."
After his wife gave birth, Leon Wells recalled driving his wife and baby, nestled against her chest. He had five green lights en route to the hospital.
Later, he said, they looked up the name Alena. Its roots, in Greek, mean bright.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: She was moments away from giving birth. The hospital discharged her.
Reporting by Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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