The holidays can be a stressful time for  hospital patients and their families.

Thanks to a program called  Adopt-A-Family and the ‘elves’ at Stony Brook, cancer patients are granted some wishes to help make the season bright.

Stony Brook ‘elves’ (L to R) Maryellen Bestenheider, Mary Alice Plant and Michele Hass help make the season bright for some cancer patients and their families.

For the past five years, the Stony Brook Cancer Center has lead the charge for a coordinated effort with the University, Stony Brook University hospital, local schools and churches as well as business and community members to seek out cancer patients in need of holiday cheer.

One group received a family of five to adopt – husband, wife and three children. “They not only bought everything on the wish list, they asked if they could buy additional bicycles for the 2 children who did not request one and went so far as to put training wheels on the bicycle for the 4 year old,” said Kathleen Green, Adopt-A-Family coordinator from the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Other offices involved in the gift giving program includeSponsored Programs, Grants Management, Research Compliance, Technology Licensing and Industrial Relations and Information Systems.

A cancer patient is chosen to be ‘adopted’ based on nominations from the clinical staff, support staff and social workers at Stony Brook Cancer Center. They consider not just financial need, but other factors such as the loss of a spouse or the inability to work during treatment.