UP: 21-year-old artist with no limbs stuns all

New Delhi: If a picture's worth a thousand words, then these visuals convey it all. 21-year-old Sarita Dwivedi is now a seasoned painter and winner of many awards despite what must certainly be a debilitating disability. Sarita was four when, playing on the terrace did not turn out to be fun, but shattering. A 11000 volt power line came falling on her and she lost both her hands and half her right leg.

Sarita says, "I've never thought of myself as differently-abled. My body functions normally. My family has supported me a lot. My parents treated me at par with my siblings."

Recuperating from her ordeal was long and painful. But Sarita never gave up. With the support of family friends and a prosthetic leg started attending school where she found her passion in life.

Sarita said, "I saw other children using paint brushes during a competition in school and I too felt like using one. They were using their hands to paint, so I tried using my leg. I stood second and since then I've never looked back."

She has even learned to do many chores by herself - even something as delicate as embroidery. For Sarita it's been a long journey - a journey she says would not have been possible without her mother, her best friend, support and confidante.

Sarita's mother Bimala Dwivedi said, "My daughter is scaling new heights everyday. We pray that she will keep moving ahead in life and find a good job."

After receiving the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2008 and being feted by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, to name a few, Sarita looks forward to completing her studies as she keeps filling in blank canvases spreading her colors.

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