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Woman Gave Birth On Jail Cell Floor, Refused When Begged To Be Taken To Hospital

By Anne Collins | Update Date: Feb 12, 2017 12:28 PM EST

Jessica Preston, a female inmate who was eight months pregnant had the most terrifying day of her life when she was forced to give birth to her son on the floor of her jail cell in Michigan's Macomb County Jail. Preston was in jail for a driving offense when she went into labor.

Preston begged the staff three times and told them she was having her baby. But the staff did not believe her and made her to back to her cell. This would not have happened if the jail medical staff members took her to the hospital.

According to News 2, after the dangerous delivery, Preston gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Elijah. Elijah was born a month early and weighed less than 5 pounds.

"I pushed him out right on the floor. At this point, I was just in complete shock. I could not believe that it had just happened that way," Preston said in dismay.

There was a case in the past were two inmates who were not hospitalized died in the jail cell.

Preston asked to be taken to the hospital even with blood on her leg, they did not believe her. Linda Preston, Jessica's mother said the staff just left her daughter to lay there and they didn't care. The staff kept saying 'You're not having a baby,' "and I don't know how anybody could say when she was bleeding," Linda said in disbelief.

Hawaii News Now reported, Sheriff Wickersham said the hospital was about three minutes away. Wickersham said he is standing by his staff's decision on the incident.

Sheriff Tony Wickersham in response said his staff was on the phone with the doctor and were monitoring Preston's contractions. He added "and the information at that time is that the baby started to come. They took her off the cot, which is close to the wall, put her on the floor, on a mattress and the baby was delivered."

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