Savita Halappanavar, 31, dies in Ireland after being refused life-saving abortion

[Morag]

From the article:

The 31-year-old Indian dentist, who was seventeen weeks pregnant, went to the hospital with severe back pain. Within hours of being admitted doctors told her she was miscarrying. The law in Ireland—which only allows for abortion if a woman's life is in danger—prevented Savita from being able to end her pregnancy and her excruciating pain because there was still a fetal heartbeat present.

As Savita's condition worsened over the course of three days, she and her husband begged doctors to end the doomed pregnancy. They refused, saying “this is Catholic country.”

Savita countered, “I am neither Irish nor Catholic.” Still, she was denied. That night she vomited repeatedly and collapsed in a restroom.

The following day, the fetus’s heartbeat finally stopped and was removed by the doctors. But it was too late. Savita was transferred to the ICU where she died of sceptic shock—the result of carrying a dying fetus expelling poison into her blood.

From another article (video plays automatically upon loading):

Several hundred people attended a protest outside Dail Eireann this evening in memory of Savita Halappanavar, who died of septicaemia following a miscarriage at Galway University Hospital.

The protest was organised by Pro-Choice Campaign Ireland.

Throughout the hour-long protest, many participants held candles, banners and posters calling for abortion legislation and pictures of Ms Halappanavar. Just before it concluded, protestors sat on the street outside Leinster House for five minutes.

There's a Twitter hashtag, too: #Savita.




I'm pretty sure I don't need to say how I feel about this.

[Sage]

I'm pretty sure I don't need to say how I feel about this.

 
I feel ill, and angry, and so so grieve. How dare they?

[Catherine]

I'm pretty sure I don't need to say how I feel about this.

 
They murdered her. I hope their god sends them straight to hell.

[Lokabrenna]

They murdered her. I hope their god sends them straight to hell.

And people try to tell me that pro-lifers care about women....

[Aisling]

I feel ill, and angry, and so so grieve. How dare they?

 
This. What a world we live in when a vibrant woman's life holds less value than that of a nonviable fetus.  I've come to the conclusion that pro-life only means pro-fetus.  

Words cannot express my disdain, disgust, and outright visceral hatred for those who allowed her to suffer and die this way. So I'll say this instead... many prayers going out for Savita's spirit.  May she and her child find a place of peace.  May her family's suffering be eased.

[Sage]

This. What a world we live in when a vibrant woman's life holds less value than that of a nonviable fetus.  I've come to the conclusion that pro-life only means pro-fetus.  

Words cannot express my disdain, disgust, and outright visceral hatred for those who allowed her to suffer and die this way. So I'll say this instead... many prayers going out for Savita's spirit.  May she and her child find a place of peace.  May her family's suffering be eased.

 
I feel like I need to do something but I have no idea what. It's too late for Savita, and other women who have suffered because of attitudes like this. But what can I do? How can I make this better?

[Altair]

I'm pretty sure I don't need to say how I feel about this.

Here's the thing: Many in states here in the U.S. are eager to see similar abortion restrictions put in place.

I wonder if (read: hope that) this news will at least slow progress on the anti-abortion front here in the States. At least then some good will have come out of this tragedy.

[Catherine]

I feel like I need to do something but I have no idea what. It's too late for Savita, and other women who have suffered because of attitudes like this. But what can I do? How can I make this better?

 
Well, you can look for pro-choice activist groups in your area and see what kind of help they might need as far as volunteers go. You can help raise awareness by speaking out when you hear people saying that things like can't happen in this day and age. You can vote, and make sure that the candidates you're voting for are really pro-choice, not just using political double speak (Gary Johnson, I'm looking at you) to win votes. If you have the extra cash, you can support national activist groups. You can pray, if you do that sort of thing.

It can feel very overwhelming when you look at the big picture, but if you break it down, there are lots of small things that when added together, are a huge help.

[Catherine]

Here's the thing: Many in states here in the U.S. are eager to see similar abortion restrictions put in place.

I wonder if (read: hope that) this news will at least slow progress on the anti-abortion front here in the States. At least then some good will have come out of this tragedy.

 
Maybe it will spark more pro-choice people to get involved in the fight, but other than that, I doubt it will. The people (from the clinic protesters to the politicians) who are fighting so hard to restrict reproductive rights are so invested in it, they can't step back now. If anything, my money is on them increasing their efforts. 'cause, you know, it's God's will and all of that bullshit.

[Micheál]

They murdered her. I hope their god sends them straight to hell.

Ireland's politics are all messed up, but our general populace think differently. Here's one of my friend's pic from the rally in Dublin last night.



The wheels have been in motion since before this, and it will change. Hopefully sooner than later.

[RandallS]

I'm pretty sure I don't need to say how I feel about this.

I know what I think about it, if this happened to my wife I would kill as many anti-abortionists as I could before they got me and I suspect I would make Voldemort look like a nice guy before they managed to kill me.

Yes, I realize this is probably EVIL with capital letters -- and I do not care that it is any more that the "no abortions for any reason" anti-abortionists care about the women their idiotic position would kill.

[Altair]

Ireland's politics are all messed up, but our general populace think differently. Here's one of my friend's pic from the rally in Dublin last night.

Thanks for the report from the ground, Micheál. I usually am not one for candlelight vigils, yet I found this response inspiring somehow. Maybe, as you say, it will hasten change already under way.

[Morag]

I know what I think about it, if this happened to my wife I would kill as many anti-abortionists as I could before they got me and I suspect I would make Voldemort look like a nice guy before they managed to kill me.

 
I love you, Randall.

[Aisling]

I love you, Randall.

 
You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Melamphoros]

I love you, Randall.

 

You took the words right out of my mouth.

 
Careful, Lyric might be watching...