Star witness tells of blossoming love and tragic loss
But as his heartbreaking story emerged before an audience of lawyers, medics and reporters at his wife’s inquest, Praveen Halappanavar was simply a distraught husband.
Questions of huge ethical, legal, medical, and political importance wait to be answered about the death of his beloved Savita, but yesterday it was the little personal things which went to the heart of the matter.
But before he got to tell us his story of unbridled joy and utter despair, he first had to run the gauntlet of the media onslaught. A pack of 40 was detailed to cover the opening day of the inquest.
Outside the Galway courthouse, camera crews and photographers jostled for the best images. Inside, up to 26 reporters with laptops, smartphones, and earphones took up one complete side of the courtroom.
The diminutive and softly spoken man took his seat in the witness box less than half an hour into the proceedings. He had carried his jacket into the courtroom, but chose to read his statement dressed in an open-neck shirt.
After five minutes he had to restart as the jury couldn’t hear him describe how his relationship with Savita had developed. They had married in 2007 in a traditional Hindu ceremony at home in India.
She joined him in Galway three months later. He is an engineer with Boston Scientific in Galway and she was a dentist practising in her home country. But she first had to sit Irish exams to be registered in this country and as she prepared for her exams, the young couple travelled around Ireland.
Savita loved Ireland and spoke to her parents every day by Skype. She loved dancing and was judged the best dancer at the Diwali festival of lights in Galway in 2010. She instantly agreed to a request to teach dance to children of the Indian community.
Savita got busy at work after passing her exams and was over-joyed when she became pregnant in 2012. Her health was excellent, she was athletic and attended yoga. At her first hospital scan, she shed tears of happiness at the sight of her unborn child in the womb.
Her parents came to Ireland to celebrate, say prayers of thanksgiving, and throw a baby shower. Life was perfect for Savita and Praveen.
It all fell apart on Oct 21 when Savita complained of back pain and the couple went to hospital. The next week was beyond a nightmare as first the young couple lost their baby daughter and then Savita’s health deteriorated tragically.
Throughout the ordeal, Praveen had to keep up the pretence with Savita’s parents that all was well. She did not wish to upset her father who had recently come through a heart bypass operation.
He spoke of her feelings of guilt, wondering if she had done something wrong to cause the miscarriage. “She said... sorry, I want to be a good wife”.
As septic shock and an E.coli infection took over her body, she was moved to a high-dependency unit and it was here that the couple shared their last intimate moments. Despite her own ordeal, she had been wondering about her parents travelling home to India.
He had been in touch with her brother to offer her reassurance. “The nurse held my hand and Savita saw me and asked if her parents had got home safely. I said yes and showed her the text from her brother. They were the last words I heard from her.”
