“We are one of the only CF communities in the US that has this kind of organization available to patients. The presence of the Crandall Foundation provides us with the unique opportunity to assist patients who are truly in need and who have nowhere else to turn.”

– John Nash
Former Albany Medical Center Social Worker

Gift Bag Program

Our initial project, and one dear to our hearts, is the gift bag program. Each CF patient admitted to Albany Medical Center receives a special canvas tote filled with items specifically selected to make a hospital stay more bearable.

To date we have donated 1,940 gift bags!

Financial Assistance

The Foundation sets aside $100,000 a year to meet the unique financial request of local CF families. From medical co-pays to paying a late mortgage, we have never had to say no to a family in need.

It has always been our hope that by lessening the financial and practical pressures of CF, patients can focus more on enjoying time with family and friends.

Hospital Room Expenses

The Foundation also pays for miscellaneous hospital room expenses for patients, who typically spend weeks at a time in the hospital several times a year. Costs covered include telephone access, TV service, parking vouchers for visitors, and cafeteria gift cards for families to purchase meals.

The Foundation also pays for hotel accommodations for family members across the street at the Hilton Garden Inn, or in whatever city their CF journey takes them.

Special Projects

Throughout the year, the Foundation also provides patients who go to the clinic for check-ups with seasonal, themed surprises. A tin of cookies is always waiting for patients in December, and high school seniors receive a graduation check each June.

For the first time in the Foundation history our “Summer Surprise” project was mailed to each family, rather than distributed to patients at their clinic appointments. This year each family received a gift card to WalMart, Mobil, and Stewart’s.

Over the years the Foundation has funded large renovation projects at Albany Medical Center to make in-patient stays feel more like home. The Living Room and Dawn’s Room have been a godsend to patients and families.

“How can I even begin to thank you for how much you have done to make my first CF hospitalization so much more comfortable and luxurious than it otherwise would have been. Especially during this pandemic, going through a week long hospitalization was not my first choice, but I needed the help. When I was taken to Dawn’s Room and given the world’s softest blanket, an ease came over me and I was able to breathe.”

– A grateful patient