To mark the 5th anniversary of Savita Halappanavar’s death on Saturday, October 28, 2012, 28 vigils will take place around Ireland tomorrow.
These vigils will take place in locations everywhere from Cork to Donegal and further gatherings are planned in New York and London.
Savita Halappanavar died of sepsis which developed while she was suffering a miscarriage from a wanted pregnancy. Savita had presented to the hospital a week before her death with severe pain. Her requests for an abortion were repeatedly refused, as a foetal heartbeat was still present.
Galway Pro-Choice live-tweeted Savita’s experience in the week before her death.
Doctors For Choice released a statement saying that Savita died as a result of being denied an abortion,
“A termination that was medically indicated and requested by her when she knew she was going to have a miscarriage that couldn’t be prevented.”
“If she had been medically managed as she would have been in every other European and developed country she would be alive today.”
“Access to abortion is a health issue. The restrictive eighth amendment must be repealed and legislation enacted to provide and regulate comprehensive abortion provision in Ireland.”
Full details of the vigils happening around the country and abroad can be found on Galway Pro Choice’s Facebook page.
