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

[RandallS]

Careful, Lyric might be watching...

In this case, I doubt she'd mind.

[Castus]

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

Generally speaking I sympathise with Ireland's policy on abortion and maintaining the Catholic faith; but that is too damn much. Some changes need to be made...

[stephyjh]

From the article:



From another article (video plays automatically upon loading):



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




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

 
If the US had the same law, I'd be dead right now. I was allowed the abortion that saved my life. So reading about Savita has been a really emotional thing for me. I'm horrified that even though the fetus wasn't going to live, they couldn't save her life by ending the pregnancy. Instead of saving her and letting the already-dying fetus go, the doctors let her die with it. There's no excuse for allowing a preventable death.

And if I'm to be completely honest, there's also some survivor's guilt in my reaction to the news. If I lived in the kind of US that my parents and grandparents envision, it could have so easily happened to me.

[Baketamun]

From the article:



From another article (video plays automatically upon loading):



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




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

 
It's horrifying and infuriating that this can happen in the 21st Century.

[Asch]

It's horrifying and infuriating that this can happen in the 21st Century.

 
This woman was murdered pure and simple. The medical staff that stood there and watched her die in agony ought to be brought up on charges. There is absolutely no excuse for this, I don't care what the law says, who in their right mind would not have broken it in this case?

It's revolting and terrifying.

[SunflowerP]

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

 
I question disdain, deride, decry and scornfully dismiss the professional competence of medical personnel who delude themselves that the presence of a fetal heartbeat somehow precludes or mitigates sepsis.



Sunflower

[Sage]

And if I'm to be completely honest, there's also some survivor's guilt in my reaction to the news. If I lived in the kind of US that my parents and grandparents envision, it could have so easily happened to me.

((Stephy)) I'm glad you're here today and that I could have met you.

[Altair]

I don't care what the law says, who in their right mind would not have broken it in this case?

This.

[Altair]

Generally speaking I sympathise with Ireland's policy on abortion and maintaining the Catholic faith

Really? Why?

[Catherine]

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.

 
I read on several different news sites that Ireland does allow abortions if the mother's life is in danger, but the law is so vague and undefined that it leaves lots of room for doctors to decide based on their own beliefs.

Given that, I blame the medical staff specifically, not the people of Ireland. They could have helped Savita. They knew the fetus couldn't be saved. Instead, they chose to torture her for days and then they let her die.

[Aster Breo]

I read on several different news sites that Ireland does allow abortions if the mother's life is in danger, but the law is so vague and undefined that it leaves lots of room for doctors to decide based on their own beliefs.

Given that, I blame the medical staff specifically, not the people of Ireland. They could have helped Savita. They knew the fetus couldn't be saved. Instead, they chose to torture her for days and then they let her die.

Agreed.

I know nothing about Irish law, but, if criminal charges can't be brought against the medical staff and hospital, I wonder if Savita's husband can bring a civil suit for wrongful death?

It's not the same, but it would be something.

[Juni]

 
Jezebel reports Ireland is legalizing abortion if the mother's life is in danger, including if she's suicidal.  Unsurprisingly, the Irish Roman Catholic church is not pleased.

[Faemon]

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

Since I learned to see threads that knot up into a situation like this, it isn't just an "oh, dear, what a tragedy, but we are mere mortals under a greater Will" or general stages of mourning from me, that end in any acceptance that "these things just happen." It is not.

[millergrls]

From the article:



From another article (video plays automatically upon loading):



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




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

This is just about the worst thing I have heard of in a long time.  This is what you would call murder...........Why didn't they take steps to try and stop the labor?

[Nyktelios]

From the article:

From another article (video plays automatically upon loading):

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




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

Hopefully the international attention this is getting will help push abortion laws in Ireland in a more positive direction. It's really heartbreaking this had to happen, though.