Woman's death inspires family to help others

When Donna Crandall died in 1999 at 41, she left a legacy of strength, courage and inspiration to her family -- and to those suffering from cystic fibrosis.

Although she had CF all her life, her sister-in-law, Lisa Cheney, recalled that just three days before Mrs. Crandall died, she went to work, determined to keep going as long as she could.

"Donna never let her disease keep her from living life the way it was meant to be lived," Mrs. Cheney noted. "She was a wife and a mom, and she held down a job. Donna was a great inspiration to everyone that knew her."

In memoriam

One year after her death, the Crandall family -- her husband, David; his sisters Lisa, Terri and Lori; and his brother, Bob -- decided to keep her memory alive by establishing the Donna Crandall Memorial Foundation to help those suffering from CF as well as their families.

"We began with the idea of gift bags to CF patients when they are hospitalized," Mrs. Cheney said.

As a result, CF patients in the pulmonary care wing at Albany Medical Center Hospital find bags on their beds. The sacks are filled with $250 worth of boredom busters, including CD players, electronic games, books, magazines, snacks and toiletries.

More to do

Mrs. Cheney said that the family soon realized that the items weren't enough, because the cost of hospital stays can be financially draining.

"We started to add meal vouchers for the hospital's cafe, then to help defray the cost of television and phone services," she said. "Sometimes, these ancillary charges can be overwhelming to people, especially on a fixed income."

Next on the list was a hospital bathroom that was in disrepair and not being used. As a result, patients had to take showers on another floor. "Since we were looking for a bigger project, this seemed to be the perfect solution," she said.

The new bathroom was dedicated to the memory of a CF patient who passed away while the renovation was taking place.

Fundraising

Soon, the foundation expanded its efforts through an annual fundraising event.

"Donna's birthday was in November, and we were looking for ways to raise even more money to help CF patients," Mrs. Cheney said.

The result is a November fundraiser called Emerald Eve, named after Donna's love of all things Irish. The first year, the foundation raised $50,000; each year since, the amount has gone up.

"We help people according to their need," she noted. "We work very closely the hospital to determine who has financial needs, and we will pay insurance premiums, mortgages, food or utility bills. We give money where it is needed, and that has included assistance to graduating high school seniors to defray their first-year college expenses. We also help pay for transportation expenses when patients have to travel long distances to get treatment."

"When we started out," Mrs. Cheney said, "it was with the intent of keeping Donna's memory alive by helping others with this disease to enjoy a more productive life. We have no board of directors and no administrative expenses. What money we raise we give back to those in need. That's the way we like it."

(To learn more about cystic fibrosis, go to www.cff.org or www.cysticfibrosis.com.)

(7/28/05) [[In-content Ad]]