This is a mural to Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old Indian dentist who died in 2012 at University Hospital Galway in Ireland due to complications arising from a septic miscarriage.
Halappanavar, who was 17 weeks' pregnant, had been told by doctors at the hospital that a miscarriage was inevitable, and had requested an abortion because there was a risk of infection.
The medical team had judged her life was not in danger, and so, given Ireland's strict abortion laws, the abortion was denied. She miscarried and died of sepsis, a week after being admitted to hospital. According to her husband, she had been told "this is a Catholic country" after repeated requests for an abortion.
The medical team responsible was later criticised in an official report. News of her death prompted candlelit vigils across the country.
In part as a result of the protest movement, an abortion bill was brought into law which defined the circumstances around which abortion can be legally performed.
This has been a long time in coming, but on Friday we have a chance to make a real difference to how women in Ireland are cared for. My film for Savita. https://t.co/IvFt0qR0KS
Halappanavar's father has urged voters in Ireland to repeal the Eighth Amendment, telling the Guardian: "I hope the people of Ireland remember my daughter Savita on the day of the referendum, and that what happened to her won’t happen to any other family.”
“I hope that people in Ireland will remember the fate of our daughter Savita on the day of the referendum and vote Yes so that what happened to us won’t happen to other families.” Savita’s parents call for a Yes vote on Friday. #yourYESmatters https://t.co/HejZxet1J8
A survey conducted for the Irish Times by Ipsos MRBI, released on Friday, predicted that 68% of people had voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment, with 32% voting to keep the current law in place.
People have left flowers and messages at a mural in Dublin of Savita Halapanava who died as a result of Ireland’s strict abortion law https://t.co/WNH3ephcta
These are some of the messages that have been left at the mural, which was made by the artist Aches.
These are some of the messages people have left at the Savita Halapanava mural in Dublin, explaining why they voted to #Repealthe8h https://t.co/SahYFpQW2D
After exit polls suggested that Ireland was set to liberalise its abortion laws, Halappanavar’s parents told the Irish Times they were "really, really happy".