Obituary
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On Sunday morning, February 5th, 2023, beloved wife and mother, Alesha Genese Arnold, was called home to be with the Lord. She was born in Gary, IN, on September 15th, 1974, to Gerald Richardson, Sr. and Letha (Willingham) Richardson.
Alesha Genese Arnold received her primary and secondary education in the Gary, IN school system and graduated as salutatorian from William A. Wirt H.S. After graduation she matriculated to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. While at Indiana University, she was an active member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority Inc., Gamma Nu Chapter. After graduation she began her nursing career at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and transitioned into research at Eli Lilly and Company prior to accepting a position as a clinical nurse coordinator and later as a Breast Oncology Research Nurse at IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (IUSCCC).
In July 2019, Alesha was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and was one of the more than 236,000 people diagnosed annually. Soon after diagnoses, Alesha boldly set out to turn the tide against the community’s perception that all individuals living with lung cancer were responsible for their disease. She became a lung cancer advocate after Chris Draft introduced her to the White Ribbon Project, an inclusive organization focused on reducing the stigma around lung cancer, removing barriers to patient advocacy and medical research, and supporting survivorship with love. Soon after, she joined IUSCCC’s new initiative, End Lung Cancer Now (ELCN), originated by Nasser Hanna, MD at IUSCCC. She connected with Dr. Hanna, Elyse Turula and ELCN in their fight to end the suffering and related death from lung cancer in Indiana. While working with both organizations, she used her testimony of love and the importance of lung cancer awareness while continuously promoting the message that anyone with lungs could receive the diagnoses of lung cancer.
For her 47th birthday, in lieu of gifts, she asked for a White Ribbon Build as a gateway to educating communities and humanizing lung cancer. She was joined by family and friends to build white ribbons for all impacted by lung cancer in her backyard. Together they built 48 White Ribbons that are displayed prominently around the state and beyond.
Nominated by her supervisor, Latrice Haney, in honor of her lung cancer advocacy, Alesha traveled to Chicago, Illinois with her husband Andre, where she was recognized by Cure Magazine as a 2022 Lung Cancer Hero. Alesha was also named to the Board of Directors of the Hoosier Cancer Research Network, Inc., where she enhanced the organizations efforts in maintaining a unique working collaboration between some of the nation’s top academic research centers and community physicians.
Alesha was an active member of New Era Church and served as a leader of the children’s ministry. She was active in community service with her daughters in the Girl Scouts and served on numerous boards and committees with organizations centering around health, education, and student empowerment.
Alesha was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald Richardson, Sr, and Letha (Willingham) Richardson. She leaves to cherish her memory her husband Andre and two daughters, Laila Dawn (17 yrs.) and Letha Estell (13 yrs.) and one brother Gerald Richardson Jr. (Gary, IN), one half-brother Jermel Richardson (Indianapolis) and many aunts, uncles, cousins, sorority sisters and dear friends.
Links to Alesha’s Lung Cancer Advocacy:
Career
(RN) http://www.linkedin.com/in/alesha-arnold-1104b210/
Volunteerism/Social/Philanthropic/End Lung Cancer Now
End Lung Cancer Now
http://medicine.iu.edu/blogs/cancer-research/IU-School-of-Medicine-professors-mission-End-Lung-Cancer:Now
IU Health Article
https://iuhealth.org/thrive/breast-cancer-researcher-learns-firsthand-about-lung-cancer
HCRN Board Announcement
https://hoosiercancer.org/iu-oncology-nurse-alesha-arnold-rn-joins-hcrn-board-of-directors/
Alesha’s Story – Roche Video
https://diagnostics.roche.com/us/en/article-listing/alesha-arnold-research-nurse-lung-cancer-patient.html
New York Times Article
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/24/well/live/cancer-nurse-gratitude.html
The Cure Magazine Nomination
https://www.curetoday.com/view/keytruda-approval-offers-another-form-of-insurance-to-keep-lung-cancer-from-returning
The Cure Magazine Award Ceremony
https://www.curetoday.com/view/a-lung-cancer-diagnosis-inspired-a-research-nurse-to-fight-stigma-around-the-disease
Events
03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Indianapois, IN 46208