“I have no words to express my gratitude to the people of Ireland at this historic moment”.
The father of Savita Halappanavar has praised Ireland for Friday’s referendum, which although the counting is still ongoing, will almost certainly vote to remove The Eighth Amendment from the Irish constitution.
Speaking to The Guardian, Andanappa Yalagi said that he was very happy today.
“We’ve got justice for Savita. What happened to her will not happen to any other family. I have no words to express my gratitude to the people of Ireland at this historic moment,” Yalagi said.
Savita died at University Hospital Galway in 2012 due to complications with her pregnancy.
When Savita developed pregnancy complications and requested an abortion, the doctors at a hospital in Galway, by law, were unable to perform a medical termination of pregnancy that could have saved Savita’s life. She was refused because a foetal heartbeat could be detected.
She miscarried and died from sepsis, a week after she was admitted to hospital.
Her death was instrumental in mobilising a new generation of young people to campaign for The Eighth Amendment to be removed from the constitution.
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