ST. LOUIS — You might have seen them on a walk or on social media: colorful doors in public spaces around the St. Louis area. They're meant to draw your eye and your attention to the fight against cancer.
“Incredibly blown away by the doors,” Joe Leahy of HLK told 5 On Your Side. “We reached out to some St Louis area artists and said let’s create 42 doors. Each door unique telling a different story of cancer."
Carolyn Lewis is one of the artists. She calls her door "Wings of Empowerment."
“Never painted on a door before,” she said.
Everything about the artwork is a symbol with “a meaning and an intention,” Lewis said.
There are red shoes.
“Because I wear red shoes on days I need a little bit more confidence,” she said.
The piece also features a number of words like resilience and joy, which is a “powerful reminder to have those qualities within you.”
The door honors Kira, a young cancer patient Lewis described as “spunky.” The two met years ago while Kira was undergoing treatment.
“She was such a beautiful child,” said Lewis.
Unfortunately, Kira passed away. The door keeps her memory and those of others alive.
"What a better way to celebrate them than with a big public piece of artwork,” she said.
Lewis's door is now helping others fight cancer. Donations to the 42 Doors of Hope will fund the new Hope Lodge in the Central West End. The place has 42 suites and is where cancer patients from out of town can stay for free.
“It’s really built around giving you all the positive reinforcement and all the comforts of home while you’re going through treatment,” said Leahy. "When you’re undergoing cancer treatment hope is a big part of what gets you through. It’s very, very powerful. It really brings us together."
Lewis agreed, adding, "We all need a little bit of hope right now with the pandemic and everything else going on."