A midwife was examining a pregnant inmate before giving birth and noticed something strange about her foot…
One morning in early March, a van pulled up in front of a town’s maternity hospital. Two guards got out and wheeled a woman out. She was obviously pregnant and in labor. She could barely walk, staggering in pain, clutching her belly and lower back.

“Hurry up!” the guards shouted. “Why couldn’t you wait until we got to the city, you silly girl?” The emergency room erupted in commotion when the staff saw their unusual patient.

It wasn’t every day that prisoners were brought to their small maternity hospital to give birth.

This one wasn’t even supposed to be there. She had gone into labor during transport to the specialized women’s prison.

Dr. Barbara Gibbs had just started what promised to be a quiet shift.

All her patients had already given birth, and she was looking forward to a peaceful cup of tea. Suddenly, news came from the ER.

“They brought in a prisoner! Goodbye to an uneventful shift!” The doctor came down the stairs. The woman in labor lay semi-reclining on the couch, moaning softly in pain, with the guards and the on-duty nurse hovering nearby. “Take her to the emergency room,” Dr. Gibbs ordered after a quick exam, nodding to the orderlies.

They lifted the woman onto a stretcher and wheeled her away. The guards began to follow her. “Where do you think you’re going?” Dr. Gibbs asked, surprised.

“You can’t go into the maternity ward. We have special protocols.” “We have our own protocols,” one of the guards snapped. “We must be present.” “Absolutely not!” Barbara exclaimed, blocking their path.

“I won’t allow you to scare the other mothers. This isn’t a prison. These are our rules. In the absence of the chief physician, I’m in charge. And I decide who comes in and who doesn’t.” “You don’t understand. She’s a prisoner. We’ve provided all the documentation.” “I understand perfectly. But first and foremost, she’s a woman giving birth to a child. What if she escapes?”

“Are you serious? She’s six centimeters dilated. Although I suppose that means nothing to you?” Dr. Gibbs shook her head. “I’ve been clear. If we can’t deliver the baby, we must handcuff her,” the escort insisted. “Believe me, it’s in your best interest.” The woman didn’t bother to ask why it might be in her best interest. She simply sighed deeply.

“Okay, put her in chains. I’ll call you later. Have some decency.” When the laboring woman was wheeled into the delivery room, the escorts handcuffed her wrist to the bed.

“Now leave,” Dr. Gibbs ordered in a sharp voice. The men left, saying they would wait in the emergency room. “Did she really show you who’s in charge here?” smiled the young pediatrician, Sofia Castro.

“I don’t need your interference here,” Dr. Gibbs murmured and approached the woman in labor, her tone softening to a gentle warmth. She asked, “Now then, my dear, remind me of your name.” “Mia,” the prisoner moaned. “Mia,” the doctor repeated.

Her face shook with emotion, paling momentarily before she composed herself. “Listen to me now, Mia. Forget everything else in the world. The baby is all that matters right now. Its life depends on you. Don’t waste your energy yelling. Just listen to my instructions.” The expectant mother nodded obediently.

“Woman, prisoner?” The words seemed incompatible with the young woman, no more than twenty years old, now struggling in the delivery chair, handcuffed.

“How had she ended up in such circumstances? What had she done?” Barbara Gibbs found herself feeling empathy for this girl. And for her child, a difficult road awaited them both. Pushing aside unnecessary thoughts, Barbara began her work.

She spoke clearly and confidently, encouraging the woman in labor, remaining attentive and professional throughout. Her voice instilled confidence, helping them manage the pain, endure it all. The women who gave birth at this maternity hospital considered themselves fortunate to be under Dr. Gibbs’s care.

She was like a mother to them; her experience and gentle hands had helped many children see this world.

Dr. Gibbs had been working at this maternity hospital for over twenty years, ever since she returned from the city to work as a midwife. She didn’t need badges or medals.

She simply did her job well, earning only good reviews. But Barbara herself had endured a difficult fate that few people knew about.