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Meals on Wheels to provide cancer patients with meals

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana is implementing a new initiative to provide healthy and medically tailored meals to low income cancer patients.

The initiative is funded through a $75,000 grant from Elanco Animal Health, who will partner with the Lilly Foundation.

Prospective patients will be referred by the Little Red Door Cancer Agency in Indianapolis.

“I learned the critical importance of eating the right kinds of food during my journey with breast cancer,” said Barb Morris, executive director and CEO of Meals on Wheels of Central Indiana. “It helped me stay strong during my treatment, recovery and now remission.”

The plan is one that may potentially save up to 100 patients, as a recent study shows that a patient who is malnourished has an increased risk of death after surgery and risk higher complications after surgery. According to the American Cancer Society, people with cancer often need to consume more protein than usual. Extra protein during active treatment is usually needed to heal tissues and help fight infection.