Just one year after a double lung transplant, Craig Kanarick, a 58-year-old resident of Cobble Hill and CEO of Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, completed “The Great Saunter,” a 32-mile walk around Manhattan. The event is organized by the nonprofit Shorewalkers to raise awareness for pulmonary diseases.
Kanarick was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in February 2023. IPF is a rare disease that scars the lungs and often leads to death within two to five years without a transplant. To improve his chances for surgery, Kanarick began pulmonary rehabilitation at NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn’s Rusk Rehabilitation in May 2023. By late 2023, his condition had worsened and he needed supplemental oxygen.
“I was constantly feeling fatigued,” Kanarick said. “Even walking down the street became a challenge.”
In March 2024, after just two days on the donor list, Kanarick received new lungs from NYU Langone’s Kimmel Pavilion. The operation was performed by Drs. Justin C. Chan and Stephanie H. Chang. Within two months, he returned to Sunset Park for further rehabilitation.
During his recovery, Kanarick set out to complete the Great Saunter and support PF Warriors, an organization supporting patients and caregivers with pulmonary fibrosis.
This past May, accompanied by his pulmonary physical therapist Alani Harrison and several friends and supporters, Kanarick finished the walk.
“It was great to have somebody there who was optimistic and motivating and felt like I could achieve my goal,” Kanarick said about Harrison’s support during the event. “It was invaluable to have Alani there to say ‘I know your body. You can do this.’”
“To be right by Craig’s side as he accomplished his goal was extremely rewarding,” Harrison said. “I’m so happy for him and I saw firsthand the commitment and dedication he put toward achieving this dream.”
NYU Langone Health operates seven inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, more than 320 outpatient sites in New York and Florida, two tuition-free medical schools in Manhattan and Long Island, as well as an extensive research program. It reported $14.2 billion in revenue this year. Vizient Inc. has ranked NYU Langone number one among 115 comprehensive academic medical centers nationwide for three consecutive years; U.S. News & World Report recently ranked four of its clinical specialties first in the country (https://nyulangone.org/news/nyu-langone-health-ranked-no-1-hospitals-new-york-state-new-york-city-us-news-world-report).
