Susan C. Burroughs Critical Needs Initiative

 

 

 

If you or an immediate family member is a CF patient in Georgia and you are experiencing financial hardship, BreatheStrong CF may be able to help ease the financial burden of groceries and fuel. Managing CF requires adequate nutrition and care by a specialized team in clinics that may be at a significant distance from home. We help meet those needs.

Eligibility

To be eligible for assistance, you or a family member in your household must be living with CF and meet the following criteria:

  1. You are an active client of a CF Care Center located in Georgia or you are a Georgia Resident working with the CF Foundation COMPASS Program.
  2. You have received the Susan C. Burroughs Critical Needs Initiative application from your social worker, case manager, or another member of your healthcare team.
  3. You are experiencing a financial hardship as a result of reduction in income or increase in expenses.

NOTE: All prospective applicants should make an attempt to first apply for other community and/or government programs (e.g. unemployment benefits, school lunch replacement, mortgage forbearance) prior to submitting the Critical Needs Application.

Due to limited funding availability, BreatheStrong CF may not be able to approve all grant requests.

Expense Types

Assistance is provided for grocery or fuel expenses through store-specific gift cards.

How to Apply

To apply, please contact your CF team’s social worker or coordinator.

Questions?

Please direct all inquiries to grants@breathestrongcf.org.

Risk indicators of food insecurity in the CF Population

Published by Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library, The George Washington University

“This issue brief focuses on food insecurity within the CF population, as well as risk indicators of food insecurity…Our findings also highlight how pervasive food insecurity is within the CF community, regardless of income level or employment status.”

Read this article

Managing the costs of CF vary widely, are likely underestimated

Published by Cystic Fibrosis News Today

“A review of published studies found that the total cost of managing cystic fibrosis (CF)—healthcare costs, patient and caregiver costs, and costs to society—varied widely per patient per year.

Read this article

What it's like to experience food insecurity as a person with CF

Published by Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

CF Foundation Blog on Food Insecurity: “Food insecurity is a widespread problem that also touches the cystic fibrosis community. I should know — I have experienced it myself and had to accept government assistance to buy food.”

Read this article

Evaluation of food insecurity in adults and children with cystic fibrosis: community case study

Published by Frontiers in Public Health

“Advances in the care and treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) have led to improved mortality rates; therefore,…there is the need for more research that surrounds the aging adult CF patient. It is important to conduct research and collect results on the aging CF population to help better prepare the CF patient, who is dealing with the heavy treatment and financial burden of their disease, build autonomy and increase their quality of life.”

Read this article

Your Title Goes Here

Published by The American Journal of Gastroenterology

“Food insecurity (FI) rates among people with cystic fibrosis (CF) are significantly higher than in the general US population. Prior literature has elucidated the impact of social determinants of health and FI on the pediatric CF population, but little research exists exploring such factors and their risk for FI in the adult CF population.”

Read this article

Susan C. Burroughs

Susan Crenshaw Burroughs, age 61, passed away on April 22, 2022, after a lifetime of battling complications from cystic fibrosis. Susan leaves a huge legacy of support and inspiration to people living with cystic fibrosis and their families. She recognized a need among CF patients to connect with other families and patients for support, and started a quarterly newsletter called “Reaching Out.” In 1998, as her own health was declining, she saw that many CF patients and families were compromising care because of being unable to afford medications, nutritional supplements, or other medical treatments. She created the CF Reaching Out Foundation to help provide financial assistance to these CF families.

Susan will be remembered by all who knew her for her strength of will, her drive and determination, her attention to detail, her warm and loving heart, and her unwavering support for others with cystic fibrosis. 

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