Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums'Nobody cared': A woman gave birth alone in a jail cell after her cries for help were ignored, lawsu
She's right... they didn't care. they would have been watching on camera. I hope she wins a million out of each of their pockets.------------------------------------
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/08/29/pregnant-woman-diana-sanchez-birth-alone-jail-cell-denver/
Diana Sanchez screamed as she writhed on the small bed inside her cell at the Denver County Jail. Gripping the thin mattress with one hand, she tried to use the other to take off her white cloth pants, only managing to free her left leg. Her face glistened with sweat. She had been in labor for hours, and now her baby was coming.
At 10:44 a.m. on July 31, 2018, in a moment captured on surveillance video, Sanchez gave birth to her son alone in her cell without medical supervision or treatment, despite repeatedly telling the jails staff that she was having contractions, according to a federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Colorado on Wednesday. The suit alleges that instead of ensuring that Ms. Sanchez was able to give birth in a safe and sanitary medical setting, nurses and deputies callously made her labor alone for hours, forcing her to endure a horrific experience.
That pain was indescribable, Sanchez told KDVR in an interview last year, and what hurts me more though is the fact that nobody cared.
The suit, which names the city and county of Denver, Denver Health Medical Center and six individuals as defendants, comes months after an internal investigation conducted by the Denver Sheriff Department cleared its deputies of wrongdoing a result that left Sanchezs attorney, Mari Newman, profoundly disappointed.
-----
On July 14, 2018, Sanchez, who was already more than eight months pregnant, was booked into the Denver County Jail on charges related to identity theft, KDVR reported. According to the lawsuit, medical personnel made note of her condition and were aware that her due date was just over three weeks away.
Then, around 5 a.m. on July 31, Sanchez had a message for the deputy who was delivering her breakfast: She was having contractions.
Sanchez would go on to tell deputies and nurses about her contractions at least eight times that morning, but medical care wasnt provided and an ambulance to the hospital never arrived, the complaint alleged. Instead, for the next four to five hours, Sanchez labored alone in her cell, a long and painful process that was captured in its entirety on surveillance video that the jails staff were responsible for monitoring, the suit said.
Its profoundly difficult to watch a person who is in so much pain, so much fear and at such medical risk, and yet nobody is doing anything about it, Newman said.
Shortly before 10 a.m., Sanchezs labor pains worsened, the lawsuit said. She told a deputy that her water had broken and she was experiencing abdominal pains, symptoms that indicated she was going to deliver her baby soon, according to the complaint.
But when the deputy relayed the information to a nurse, the nurse only requested for a van to take Sanchez to the hospital, the suit said. Jail officials signed off despite knowing that the van wouldnt transport Sanchez until all new detainees had been booked, a process that could take multiple hours, the suit alleged.
It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that a person whos been in labor for hours and whose water has broken is going to have a baby, Newman said. The babys not going to wait for book-ins. The babys coming one way or the other.
As Sanchez waited, Newman said the mother was given an absorbent pad to lie on. In the surveillance video, Sanchez can be seen unfolding the square sheet and placing it on her bed.
--------------
Less than an hour after her water broke, Sanchez started shouting for help, the complaint said. A deputy arrived to Sanchezs cell to find that the pad was soaked through and she was clearly in excruciating pain. When a nurse was informed of the situation, he allegedly responded that Sanchez was already scheduled to go to the hospital, so she didnt need medical care, the suit said.
By 10:42 a.m., video of the cell showed Sanchez with her pants around her knees, her face distorted in a grimace. Soon, she is frantically taking off her pants and underwear. The door of her cell opens, but no one comes in to help.
Sanchezs mouth is wide open in a scream. Within seconds, a small baby tumbles out onto the bed and only then does a man wearing surgical gloves enter the cell. He appears to examine the infant, gently patting the babys back a few times. At least two people in uniforms can be seen.
The Denver Fire Department took another 15 minutes to arrive at the cell, the lawsuit said. Sanchez and her baby werent transported to the hospital until around 11:15 a.m. more than 30 minutes after she had given birth, the suit alleged.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
10 replies, 1286 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (22)
ReplyReply to this post
10 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
'Nobody cared': A woman gave birth alone in a jail cell after her cries for help were ignored, lawsu (Original Post)
Demovictory9
Aug 2019
OP
I think there will be settlements. They certainly won't want that video to be seen by jury
Demovictory9
Aug 2019
#3
Oh the jail followed 'all procedures' and took all 'relevant action' . Guess they're using the rump
UniteFightBack
Aug 2019
#4
sakabatou
(42,174 posts)1. WTF?!
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)2. That is just unfuckingbelievable ... WOW ... Just WOW!?!
Everyone who knew what was going on should be fucking FIRED, and the city, county, state should all have their asses sued to Kingdom Come.
Demovictory9
(32,475 posts)3. I think there will be settlements. They certainly won't want that video to be seen by jury
Lars39
(26,116 posts)10. Prison time if I had my way
UniteFightBack
(8,231 posts)4. Oh the jail followed 'all procedures' and took all 'relevant action' . Guess they're using the rump
handbook.
SunSeeker
(51,697 posts)5. Sickening. And no one was fired over this??
Demovictory9
(32,475 posts)6. of course not...they gave her a pad to put on the bed.
calimary
(81,466 posts)7. This is hideous.
Is this what weve become? Is this really what we are now?
Fucking cheney used to sneer openly about the idea of empathy. Sneered at it. Seems hes become a cancer too - metastasizing across America, with donald as the delivery system.
Horrible.
Alwaysna
(574 posts)8. I wish for those who did nothing to feel what she experienced ! n/t
MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)9. Gee, where are the law enforcement defenders at?
I would just love to hear their take on this one