Artist’s plight - Hope of a happy ending

WHO could not be moved by the sheer courage of the Russian-born, Dublin-based artist Alexandra Trotsenko whose fingers were chopped off in a crazed attack by a mindless thug.

Her harrowing account of the ordeal on Joe Duffy’s Liveline saddened all those who heard it, an ordeal that ended her career as an accomplished painter. Her story has prompted fellow artists up and down the country to donate works for an auction aimed at raising funds to enable her to paint again.

Thanks to the generosity of Irish people she hopes to resume her career with the help of prosthetic fingers, a very expensive medical procedure for which there will be little or no official funding.

Despite her terrible experience, the outpouring of genuine sympathy in her adopted country is already playing an important role in the healing process. Her bravery in the face of such a brutal attack is a remarkable example of personal courage, the kind of resilience that will one day illuminate the pages of the children’s stories which Alexandra plans to illustrate.