A late-night hospital visit for a North Texas mother in labor has sparked questions about patient care after a TikTok video showed a nurse asking the woman to complete paperwork while she cried out in pain. 

The video, posted by the patient’s mother, has been viewed tens of millions of times. It shows the woman visibly struggling as she leans over her wheelchair in the waiting room at Dallas Regional Medical Center in Mesquite. 

The family says the woman was left without medical attention for more than 30 minutes. According to her mother, she delivered her son just 12 minutes after the recording was taken.

In another video, the woman’s mother said her daughter was scheduled to be induced earlier that day but was told the hospital would call her when a bed became available. She said no one followed up.

“The silence of that registered nurse was louder than that woman’s cry.”

DeAnna Vonbartheld, president of the Texas Doula Association, called the response from hospital staff concerning.

“Unfortunately, the silence of that registered nurse was louder than that woman’s cry,” Vonbartheld said in an interview. She added that labor is considered an emergency medical condition and that a patient showing signs of active labor should be evaluated immediately.

Vonbartheld also noted broader concerns about maternal health disparities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. 

She said the woman in the video could have faced life-threatening consequences had the delay continued.

Family retains law firms

The family has retained two law firms: the Houston-based Dunk Law Firm and the Chicago-based firm Romanucci & Blandin, which previously represented the families of Botham Jean and George Floyd.

State Rep. Rhetta Bowers, who has spoken with hospital leadership and Mesquite city officials, said the incident has led other community members to share similar concerns about their experiences at the hospital.

“It looked like she was given the cold shoulder,” Bowers said. “Soon after the video went viral, people began coming up to me with their own stories.”

Dallas Regional Medical Center said it is investigating the incident but has not confirmed whether the nurse involved is still employed.

The family has asked for privacy as they consider next steps.

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