- In this issue -
  • From the executive director
  • Team Little Red Door deadline
  • Honoring a donor
  • Bruce Kopp golf outing
  • New Cancer Education Series
  • Oral Cancer Awareness
  • An Evening with...
    • From the
    executive director
    Dear Friends,

    Little Red Door celebrates its 60th year of service this year! We began in 1945 in an old frame building west of downtown on 10th street. In those days, when someone learned of a cancer diagnosis, they were referred to the “building with the red door” for help.

    Today we are on Meridian Street, and our front door is still red. People with cancer still turn to us for help when they lack the financial means or the insurance to have access to vital services.

    In 2004 Little Red Door was able to provide more than 1500 clinical breast exams, nearly 1200 mammograms, and nearly 350 diagnostic ultrasounds and biopsies. By providing these procedures, 19 cases of breast cancer were found. These are 19 lives saved because of early intervention and eventual referral into the health care system.

    In 2004 Little Red Door provided nearly 5800 trips to vital medical appointments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and doctor visits. Also, more than 120 women came to the Little Red Door Boutique to be fitted for a wig or a turban.

    Overall, Little Red Door reached out and served nearly 10,000 people last year. For these folks, our red door is their Door of Hope.

    As we begin our sixth decade of service, we are grateful for the countless ways in which you have supported our mission. We renew our pledge to set the standard for client service, wise use of your financial support and to make the most of life and the least of cancer.

    John Aleshire
    Executive Director
    Little Red Door Cancer Agency


    March 14th deadline to join Team Little Red Door for the Komen Indianapolis Race for the Cure
    Although the Race for the Cure is a couple months out, the deadline for team registration is only 30 days away!

    To become part of Team Little Red Door:
    • To register online (have a credit card handy), go to the Team Little Red Door webpage, and click on "Join Team Little Red Door" at the bottom.
    • To register by mail and pay with a check, download and print off this form*, or contact Nancy Griffith (contact info below).
    • Unable to attend? Show your support by signing up as a “sleep in participant.”
    • Volunteer to help prior to, or on, race day.
    Contact Nancy Griffith, Director of Special Events & Volunteer Services at 317.925.5595 ext. 350 or ngriffith@littlereddoor.org to have a paper entry form mailed to you, or for volunteer information.

    The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation provides the primary source of funding for Little Red Door’s Mammography Assistance Program (free mammograms and diagnostic procedures) for medically underserved women in Central Indiana! Please help us recruit the largest non-profit team out there!

    * To open and print the registration form, you may need to install Adobe Reader.


    Honoring a donor
    In 1998, Mary Crites was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to Little Red Door's prosthesis program, Mary was able to get help in combating the after-effects of cancer. Happily, her relationship to Little Red Door didn't end there.

    Mary (left) with Michele (our Director of Patient Services)
    In 2002, Mary began giving back to Little Red Door by donating crocheted blankets and shawls that she made herself. She has been doing this kind service ever since. The blankets are available to clients that come into Little Red Door for wig/prosthesis fittings or to pick up supplies.

    We extend out thanks to Mary Crites, and to the many others who support Little Red Door, whether the support comes through financial, material, or time contributions. Your support is crucial to achieving our mission of reducing the physical, emotional and financial burdens of cancer for medically underserved residents of central Indiana. You can help support Little Red Door by donating needed items such as:
    • Books of Stamps
    • Colored Pens
    • Crayons
    • Dental Floss
    • Dish towels
    • Dish washing liquid
    • Dove or Dial soap
    • Grocery store/IPL/Citizen Gas gift cards for clients
    • Hats for the Little Red Door Boutique
    • Incontinence supplies
    • Lotion
    • Lunch bags
    • Movie Gift Cards
    • New Journals
    • Nutritional supplements
    • Paper towels
    • Plastic Storage Containers
    • Reams of Colored Paper
    • Red pocket folders
    • Sun block lotion
    • Thank you Cards
    • Toilet paper
    • Toothpaste
    • Toothbrushes
    To contribute, contact Michele Perrin at 317.925.5595 ext 340, or mperrin@littlereddoor.org


    Bruce Kopp golf outing
    This June, you can play golf in support of Little Red Door Cancer Agency! How have we achieved this, you ask? Bruce Kopp, an Eyewitness News anchor for WTHR, is partnering with Little Red Door to put on the Bruce Kopp Little Red Door Open. This inaugural charity golf outing will take place at the Prestwick Country Club, in Avon, Indiana on Monday, June 13, 2005. The proceeds of the event will go to support the work of Little Red Door.

    There are many ways to join the fun on June 13th. Sponsorship opportunities, foursome opportunities, and individual entries are all available. For registration information, please contact Nancy Griffith at 317.925.5595 ext 350, or ngriffith@littlereddoor.org.


    New Cancer Education Series
    Talk, listen and learn from experts in the field of cancer…

    This March, Little Red Door is kicking off their Cancer Education Series. It is a quarterly forum where physicians and the public can come together to discuss topics regarding the prevention and treatment of cancer.

    The first educational program will be Tuesday, March 22, from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Little Red Door Cancer Agency. The guest speaker, Patrick J. Loehrer, Sr. MD, will speak on Colorectal Cancer. Dr. Loehrer is a Professor of Medicine and Division Director of Hematology and Oncology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, as well as an internationally respected medical oncologist.

    Light refreshments will be served and there is no charge to attend. RSVP to Tisha Reid 317.925.5595 ext. 341 or email: treid@littlereddoor.org


    Oral Cancer Awareness
    While oral cancer is not as widely spoken about as breast cancer or lung cancer, it can be as deadly as any cancer if not detected early.

    Though it is most common in both men and women over the age of 40, it does occur in people of all age groups. The proportion of men to women affected has long been 6 to 1, but has now become 2 to 1.
    CANCER FACT
    This year, 30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 30,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in 5 years.
    – Oral Cancer Foundation
    This is attributed to an increase in the percentage of women who smoke. The major risk factor of oral cancer is tobacco use in all its forms, with alcohol use posing the second-greatest risk factor. Other risk factors include exposure to ultraviolet light, x-rays, and biological factors such as HPV (human papilloma virus, a common sexually transmitted virus that has been linked to both cervical and oral cancer).

    One of the real dangers of oral cancer is that it can easily go unnoticed in its early stages. Initially it can be painless, and the physical changes it causes may not be obvious. Fortunately, a dentist or doctor can see or feel the precursor tissue changes in their earliest stages.

    Symptoms include:
    • A sore, irritation, lump or thick patch in the mouth, lip or throat
    • A white or red patch in the mouth
    • Unusual bleeding, pain or numbness in the mouth
    • A feeling that something is caught in your throat or a sore throat that doesn’t go away
    • Difficulty or pain with chewing or swallowing
    • Swelling of the jaw that causes dentures to fit poorly or become uncomfortable
    • A change in the voice and/or pain in the ear
    These symptoms may or may not be caused by cancer. So anyone with any of these symptoms should see a dentist or doctor for further evaluation, proper diagnosis and treatment.

    Little Red Door offers free educational presentations and oral cancer screenings to community groups and at various times throughout the year. During screenings, dentists feel for any lumps or irregular tissue changes in the neck, head, cheeks and oral cavity, and, by examining the soft tissues in the mouth, specifically look for any sores or discolored tissues.

    For more information, contact Little Red Door at 317.925.5595.


    An evening with...
    On Wednesday, October 20, 2004, we rocked the Indiana Roof Ballroom with our inaugural fall gala: “An Evening with Michael Feinstein.” The money raised supported our Mammography Assistance Program. When the curtain came down, dozens of people asked: “What are you going to do for next year?”

    Well, on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 we are going to rock the roof again! Watch your inbox for a special announcement in March’s “The Open Door!”


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    Send comments to jjarvis@littlereddoor.org

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    For more information on how you can help prevent, treat and
    fight cancer here in central Indiana, visit
    www.littlereddoor.org.
    ~Celebrating 60 Years as a Door of Hope~