In a ceremony marked by emotional speeches, abortion-rights group Free & Just on Thursday unveiled a mural celebrating the lives of four Texas women who died because they were unable to receive life-saving medical care under the state’s near-total abortion ban.
The mural fills the side wall of Mercury Project, a two-story studio and gallery space in the Southtown Arts District, and includes tributes to Josseli Barnica (1993-2021), Nevaeh Crain (2004-2023), Porsha Ngumezi (1988-2023) and Tierra Walker (1987-2024). The families of all four women say they received inadequate or delayed care because doctors feared being prosecuted for terminating pregnancies that put their lives at risk.
The mural by San Antonio artist Ana Hernandez highlights concerns raised by women’s health advocates and medical professionals that Texas’ stringent anti-abortion laws have made doctors and hospitals afraid of offering life-saving procedures that may require terminating a pregnancy.
During a speech at the unveiling, Hope Ngumezi said his wife Porsha died in 2023 at the age of 35 after being denied treatment for a miscarriage. A dilation and curettage procedure would have saved her life, but she was unable to obtain the procedure, he added, pausing several times to hold back tears.
“Since Porsha’s death, more than a dozen physicians have reviewed her case and concluded that her death was preventable,” Ngumezi said. “Medical experts have said she should have received the emergency D&C, a simple procedure that would have saved her life, and that is why I continue to share Porsha’s story. Because no family should walk into a hospital seeking help and leave without the person they love.”
Porsha Ngumezi’s death left the family’s two young boys without a mother.
Latanya Walker, the aunt of San Antonio resident Tierra Walker, who died in 2024 at age 37, also spoke. She said physicians declined to provide needed medical care for her niece when complications from her pregnancy put her life at risk.
“My family is hurting, but we will continue lifting the voice and sharing the story of how to change what happened with the women of the future,” Walker said.
Hernandez, the artist who spent six weeks working on the mural, paused several times during her address, clearly overcome by the moment. The crowd at the event included family members of the deceased women. Some braved the June heat in attire fitting for a funeral service.
“I did not expect to become so emotional, just meeting the families, meeting you guys, and knowing the losses you suffered and that is still happening,” she said. “I am very honored to have been able to commemorate them.”
Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
