‘We Did It For Her’: Savita’s Death Remembered As Ireland Votes Yes To Abortion
“This is a celebration but it’s bittersweet. We failed Savita. Ireland
failed Savita. But hopefully we won’t let what happened to her happen to anyone
else.”
“I voted for you Savita, I’m sorry we failed you”
“If I have a daughter I will name her Savita after you”.
PA WIRE/PA IMAGES A woman kneels at a mural of Savita Halappanavar in Dublin
IRELAND - As many Irish people celebrate what appears to be a landslide victory for pro-choice campaigners in Ireland’s abortion referendum, tributes were paid to a woman whose death has haunted the country since 2012. Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian dentist, died of sepsis when she was refused an abortion during a protracted miscarriage. She had travelled to hospital complaining of back pain when she was 17 weeks pregnant, and was told by staff that she was going to lose the child. But because there was a foetal heartbeat, they were barred by law – governed by the eighth amendment of the constitution – from terminating the pregnancy, forcing to her endure a week-long miscarriage. She suffered an infection and later went into septic shock, resulting in her death.
On Saturday, as it
emerged that the country had overwhelming voted to repeal the amendment, which
will pave the way for the government to relax the laws on abortion, many women
were remembering Savita and her legacy. A mural bearing her
image in the busy Portobello district of Dublin was adorned with notes, flowers
and tributes as people flocked to pay their respects. Jill Jordan, 38, who
was there with her baby daughter Ivy, told HuffPost UK: “It’s not yet
official but I’m feeling sheer relief. “It means we can go
into the future knowing that the people of Ireland actually trust us and
realise women are not shameful objects. “The result means we
won’t be exporting women for abortions, it gets rid of that hypocrisy. It just
adds another layer of distress in crisis.” She patted her
daughter, adding: “She doesn’t know it yet but we did this for her.”
Speaking to the Irish
Times, Savita’s father, Andanappa Yalagi, said he hoped the new
legislation, promised to be enacted before the end of the year by the Irish
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, should be called “Savita’s law”. Speaking from the
family home in Belgaum,
Karnataka in south west India,
he said the family was “really, really happy” the Irish people were on
course to deliver a strong ‘Yes’ in the abortion referendum. “I want to thank you
so much. I want to say ‘Thank you’ to our brothers and sisters in Ireland for
voting Yes. It is very important. There has been really a lot, too much
struggle for the Irish ladies.”
Anne Marie Roche, 37,
said: “Savita and I were pregnant at the same time. When she died I wasn’t able
to march. Now I have the strength, I wanted to come and pay tribute to her. “She should be at home
with her five-year-old like I am. She should never have been made a martyr in
this country.” Ali, who asked for her surname not to be
published, laid flowers at the makeshift shrine. She said: “This is a
celebration but it’s bittersweet. We failed Savita. Ireland failed Savita. But
hopefully we won’t let what happened to her happen to anyone else.” Other tributes read:
“I voted for you Savita, I’m sorry we failed you” and “If I have a daughter I
will name her Savita after you”.
