An Irish nurse has made an amazing version of the famous Michaelangelo painting from the Sistine Chapel ceiling, inspired by her time working on the COVID-19 wards at a Dublin hospital.
Chloe Slevin, a nursing student at University College Dublin and artist, created The Separation of Adam as a response to her experiences during the crisis and is now looking to sell it as a fundraiser for children's ambulance service BUMBLEance. This isn't her first COVID recreation: she also recast Vermeer's The Girl With the Pearl Earring with a surgical mask earlier in the pandemic.
"It highlights the isolation that I witnessed every day among people, whether it's between patients and staff and those isolating from family and friends," said the student.
"People are isolating and they are being separated more and more. There are people visiting family members through windows. Restrictions are a hard thing to discuss. Personally I am trying to restrict my movements more than the recommended advice.
"Even as we move back to Level 3, I am trying to be stricter with myself and take extra steps to look after myself. I haven't seen many of my friends at all, I haven't been out much. It's hard but it does have to be done."
Ms Slevin is also a campaigner for better pay for student nurses, and has spoken up about the recent motion that was proposed in the Dail to keep student nurses wages at the levels that they were earlier in the pandemic. The motion was defeated by a combination of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green Party votes.
"Our Government doesn't see us worthy of an apprenticeship wage, it's really tough," said Chloe. "I've had students come to me saying they are starving themselves because they can't afford a bus home. They are skipping lunch to afford a train ticket or they are kicked out of their houses as they can't afford rent.
"People are working over 60 hours a week and get nothing. For junior ministers to be on a salary of 140,000 euro but I can't get an accommodation allowance, it's a disgrace. They talk about our accommodation allowances and travel allowances but I get 20 euro travel allowance a week. Some students get nothing.
"It's not a surprise that nurses don't stay in Ireland. It's an insult when we are given a round of applause but it's just empty. Praise doesn't help us pay rents, it doesn't stop us from moving away, we are suffering."
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Ireland