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San Antonio artist Ana Hernandez created a mural that she hopes will bring awareness to effects of the abortion ban in Texas and other states.
Through spiritual symbolism and colorful imagery, Hernandez’s piece tells the story of four Texas women who died after being denied treatment for pregnancy complications including miscarriages, hemorrhages, sepsis-related conditions, and severe preeclampsia.
She spoke to families and friends gathered at the Mercury Project in the Southtown Arts District to honor the lives of the four women.
“I did not expect to be so emotional, just meeting the families, meeting you guys, and knowing the losses you've suffered, and just the fact that this is still happening,” said Hernandez.
The 2022 Supreme Court ruling of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization determined that the U.S. Constitution does not confer a federal right to abortion. The ruling shifted the legal landscape in Texas by initiating a near-total ban on abortion from the moment of fertilization. Because Texas had previously passed "trigger" legislation designed to take effect if Roe v. Wade were overturned, the decision activated some of the strictest reproductive laws in the nation.
Hope Ngumezi spoke at the gathering. He's the husband of Porsha Ngezumi, who died at the age of 35, after being denied treatment for a miscarriage.
“The hospitals and doctors responsible for her care refused to provide it. As a result, on June 12, 2023, I lost my wife,” said Ngumezi. "Medical experts have said that she should have received the emergency D&C (dilation and curettage). A simple procedure that would have saved her life."
Latanya Walker is the aunt of Tierra Walker, a San Antonio mother and dental assistant who died in 2024 from pregnancy complications after also being denied treatment.
“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,” said Walker.
Washington DC-based nonprofit and advocacy group for reproductive freedom Free & Just organized the mural unveiling to bring awareness to at least seven women whose deaths are linked to delays or denials of care under abortion bans and to call attention to ongoing dangers facing pregnant patients in Texas and other states since the Supreme Court ruling.
The four Texas women honored in the mural are Josseli Barnica (1993-2021), Neveah Crain (2004-2023), Porsha Ngumezi (1988-2023), and Tierra Walker (1987-2024). All four cases became widely discussed in debates about maternal healthcare, emergency pregnancy treatment, and the effects of abortion laws on medical decision-making in Texas.
Hernandez spoke through tears, then caught her breath, while assistant Andrea Jacobs offered vocal support and mirrored her words.
"It's an honor to be a part of this, memorializing your loved ones that were lost unnecessarily. And we hope that their loss isn't in vain, that we can use this as an amplifying force to fight for other women, so it doesn't happen again," said Jacobs.
