A Conversation with Mercedes Wells: The Black Mother Inspiring New Legislation

This Mother's Day I'd like you to hear the story of a fellow mom and Black Maternal Health advocate who I've only just met at a recent conference in Alabama. I am inspired by her willingness to speak up and out. She and her husband are doing so after their very recent traumatic experience at an Indiana hospital. It took me time to be able to speak up about my own experience and I marvel at her ability to hit this ground running on all our behalves. 

In this work, I think a lot about the care every mother deserves: to be listened to, protected, supported, and treated with dignity during one of the most vulnerable moments of our lives. What happened to Mercedes and her family should never happen to anyone. But through unimaginable fear and trauma, she has chosen to use her voice to advocate for accountability, compassion, and systemic change in maternal healthcare and now a piece of legislation that needs all of our support is on the table. In our conversation, Mercedes opens up about the morning her daughter was born, the fight for justice that is following, and the purpose she’s found in speaking out for other families.

Tatyana: Can you tell us what unfolded the morning your baby girl was born?

Mercedes: The morning my baby girl was born was nothing like we planned, and it is something my husband and I will never forget. I went to the hospital in labor expecting to be cared for, listened to, and taken seriously, but instead I was dismissed and turned away while I was clearly in active labor. I knew my body, I knew my contractions were real, and I knew something was not right, but my concerns were ignored. Because of that decision, I ended up giving birth on the side of the road, outside of the hospital, in a moment that should have been safe and supported. My husband had to help me through one of the most important moments of our lives without medical help, without preparation, and without the care that every mother deserves. It was scary, traumatic, and completely preventable. By the grace of God, my baby girl survived, and I survived, but the experience changed us forever. What should have been a joyful birth turned into a fight for our safety, and that is something no family should ever have to go through.

Tatyana: You’ve chosen to share your story during an incredibly vulnerable time. Why does it feel important for you to speak now?

Mercedes: It feels important for me to speak now because the momentum is here. There were stories unfolding similar to mine right before my experience, and even after, more women have come forward with the same kind of treatment. That lets me know this is not just about me, this is about a bigger problem that has been going on for a long time. The awareness of what some hospitals are doing to birthing women—especially women of color—has been highlighted because of what happened to me, and I would feel selfish if I stayed silent. God allowed me to survive this, and I believe it was for a reason. The time is now to use my voice while people are listening, so that change can actually happen and other families don’t have to go through the trauma that my husband and I went through.

Tatyana: What do you want families—especially Black families navigating pregnancy and birth—to know as they navigate the healthcare system?

Mercedes: I want families, especially Black families, to know that you have rights in the healthcare system, even when it doesn’t feel like it. You have the right to speak up, the right to ask questions, and the right to request a different nurse or doctor right then and there if you feel ignored, dismissed, or unsafe. Do not let anyone make you feel like you have to accept poor treatment just because you are in a hospital. Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, say something. Bring an advocate with you if possible, whether that’s your partner, family member, doula, or friend. Our voices matter, and sometimes speaking up in the moment can make the difference between a safe birth and a traumatic one.

Tatyana: If you had the opportunity to speak directly to the healthcare professionals who dismissed or turned you away, what would you want them to understand about the impact of their decisions?

Mercedes: I would want them to understand that their decisions could have cost me my life or the life of my child. What happened to me was not just an inconvenience, it was traumatic, dangerous, and completely avoidable. My husband and I were robbed of the birthing experience we planned for, and instead we were left scared, confused, and fighting to survive in a moment that should have been joyful. When healthcare workers dismiss patients, especially Black women, the consequences can be deadly. I would tell them to do better, because if they do not change on their own, I am committed to fighting for policies that will require them to change. Compassion, listening, and respect should not be optional in healthcare — they are the standard and that should be at the forefront of what they do.

Tatyana: The WELLS Act, a maternal health bill introduced in Congress, was named after you and your experience. What does it mean to see your story helping shape legislation, and what changes do you hope this bill will bring for mothers and families?

Mercedes: Seeing the WELLS Act introduced and knowing my story helped shape legislation is confirmation to me that this is part of my calling. I truly believe God prepared me for such a time as this, to help ignite change in these hospitals and to be a voice for families who feel unheard. I am willing to be used as a vessel to help as many people as possible avoid the trauma that I experienced. My hope is that this bill is the beginning of a shift in the mindset within healthcare, where compassion, accountability, and respect for Black women and their babies are not optional, but required. I also recently had the honor of being named an Obstetric Board Member with the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and that means a lot to me because it shows that my voice is being heard in spaces where real change can happen. I hope the WELLS Act leads to stronger policies, better training, and real accountability so that mothers and families are protected.

 

Tatyana: Beyond your advocacy work, are you and your husband taking any additional steps to pursue accountability or systemic change within the hospital or broader healthcare system?

Mercedes: Yes, we are absolutely holding the hospital accountable, and we are currently navigating what that looks like through legal counsel. This is not only about what happened to me personally, but about the larger systemic issue that continues to put Black mothers at risk. The reality is that Black women in America are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth compared to white women, and about 90% of those deaths are considered preventable. That is a heartbreaking truth, and it shows that this is not just a mistake here and there, but a pattern that has to be addressed. My hope is that through accountability, advocacy, and legislation like the WELLS Act, we can start to change those numbers. I also believe that being part of the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative Community Advisory Board gives me another opportunity to push for real systemic change, so that what happened to me will not keep happening to other families.

Tatyana: Through this experience—painful as it has been—what have you learned about yourself, your voice, and your power?

Mercedes: Through this experience, I have learned that my voice is stronger than I ever realized, and that my story carries power even in the middle of pain. I learned that I am not someone who will stay silent when something wrong has been done, not just to me, but to other women who may not have the strength or the platform to speak up yet. This situation showed me that I was called to do more than just survive it — I was called to use it to help create change. I have learned that my voice belongs in rooms where decisions are being made, whether that is through advocacy, legislation, or being part of spaces like the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative Community Advisory Board. I also learned that power does not always look like strength in the moment — sometimes it looks like being scared, hurt, and still choosing to stand up and tell the truth anyway. If my story can help protect even one mother or one baby, then I know that what I went through was not in vain, and that gives me the strength to keep speaking.