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The Flutter Express Collaborates with American Cancer Society!
The Flutter Express is proud to announce its collaboration with the American Cancer Society! 🎗️✨
Through this partnership, American Cancer Society clients will receive an exclusive 20% discount on "Hope Flutters" tickets for The Flutter Express NYC Round-Trip Service in 2025!
That means 20% off every ride an American Cancer Society client—and their caregiver or family members—takes throughout 2025!
Together, The Flutter Express and the American Cancer Society are committed to making transportation more accessible and affordable for those seeking specialized care at world-renowned healthcare institutions.
🔗 Learn more about the American Cancer Society and its life-changing mission: www.cancer.org
The Flutter Express Collaborates with To Life!
The Flutter Express is thrilled to announce our collaboration with To Life!
To Life! is dedicated to providing personal support, empowering informed decision-making, and enhancing the quality of life for those affected by breast cancer in the Capital Region. Through this partnership, all To Life! clients will receive an exclusive 20% discount on tickets for The Flutter Express NYC Round-Trip Service in 2025! That means 20% off every ride a To Life! client—and their caregiver or family members—takes throughout 2025!
Together, The Flutter Express and To Life! are making it easier for those in need of specialized care to access locations with world-renowned healthcare institutions.
Learn more about To Life! and their incredible mission: www.tolife.org
The Flutter Express Collaborates with Wicklund Warriors!
The Flutter Express is thrilled to announce our collaboration with Wicklund Warriors !
Wicklund Warriors is dedicated to supporting patients and families affected by blood cancer. Through this partnership, if you receive support from Wicklund Warriors, they will financially cover your ride on The Flutter Express.
To learn more about Wicklund Warriors and their incredible mission, visit www.wicklundwarriors.com.
About Wicklund Warriors:
“Our mission is to extend financial support to families clinically diagnosed with blood cancer in the 11 counties surrounding Albany, NY. Our commitment is unwavering—we do not discriminate based on age, gender, or ethnicity. Our purpose is to identify and address the unique needs of these families, alleviating their burdens.”
Left: Deanna Wicklund, Founder, Wicklund Warriors, Right: Francesca LoPorto-Brandow, Founder, The Flutter Express
New Service Helps Capital Region Residents Reach NYC Medical Centers with Dignity and Ease
Albany, NY — The journey to healing is never easy, and for many, simply getting to their medical appointments is an overwhelming challenge. Inspired by her own experiences, Francesca LoPorto-Brandow has launched The Flutter Express, a compassionate transportation service designed to help patients and their families travel on a 56-passenger motor coach bus to locations with world-class medical centers with comfort and ease outside of the Capital Region.
“My name is Francesca. I’m a mom of two boys, a dog mom to our cockapoo Bruno, a wife, a daughter, and a sister. I love butterflies, celebrating life’s moments, and staying connected to the world around me, but in October of 2020, I also became a cancer patient,” says LoPorto-Brandow. Just four months after giving birth to her second child, her world changed when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 primary mediastinal large B-cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma—a rare and aggressive cancer, and was given only a 2% chance of survival at the time of her diagnosis.
Despite the grim prognosis, LoPorto-Brandow built a multidisciplinary care team from her hospital bed, including local doctors and a Lymphoma specialist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and began the fight for her life. But her battle was not hers alone. Over the next two years, she also navigated her father’s recurrence of Multiple Myeloma, her in-laws’ cancer battles, and, most recently, her husband’s diagnosis of a rare blood cancer.
Through it all, one challenge stood out: transportation.
“My husband and I personally drove 16,000 miles in three months to ensure my father received the care he needed at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center,” LoPorto-Brandow recalls. “That experience opened my eyes to how overwhelming travel can be for patients and their families. Transportation shouldn’t be an added worry or stressor when people are already navigating so much.”
That realization led to the creation of The Flutter Express. As a partner of Yankee Trails, this service provides a comfortable and dignified way for people to reach leading medical centers, including those in New York City. With thoughtful touches such as complimentary water, snacks, essential travel kits for adults and kids, and a supportive community-focused environment, The Flutter Express allows passengers to focus on what matters most—their health.
“Comfort, ease, and community are at the heart of what we do,” LoPorto-Brandow explains. “Whether it's cancer, IVF, or other health challenges, every bit of ease and compassion matters. That’s why The Flutter Express is open to all—those seeking healthcare and their supportive communities—because no journey should be faced alone, no matter the condition or circumstance.”
The first scheduled round-trip service from Rensselaer, Albany, and Catskill to New York City is planned for March 11th, 2025. The coach bus stops near world-renowned healthcare facilities, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, The Hospital for Special Surgery, and other specialized adult and pediatric centers, so that access to locations with a wide range of experts and medical care are possible. Reservations can be made online at www.theflutterexpress.com. Plans to expand to additional cities will be shared at a later date.
The Flutter Express offers a reliable, convenient, customer-centered alternative. The service bridges the gap for individuals seeking healthcare in locations far from home while avoiding the challenges of driving, navigating public transportation, or arranging costly private travel.
For LoPorto-Brandow, The Flutter Express is more than a service—it’s a mission. “This is one of my ways of giving back so people can prioritize their health,” she says. “I know firsthand how stressful, lonely, and overwhelming the journey can be. If The Flutter Express can make it even a little easier, then it’s worth it.”
About The Flutter Express
The Flutter Express is a customer-focused transportation service created by Francesca LoPorto-Brandow, a cancer survivor and advocate for compassionate transportation solutions. The Flutter Express provides reliable, comfortable, and stress-free transportation to locations with world-renowned healthcare institutions via Yankee Trails motor coach buses. For more information, contact Francesca LoPorto-Brandow at info@theflutterexpress.com, 518-217-5121, or www.theflutterexpress.com.
For media inquiries:
Contact: Francesca LoPorto-Brandow Email: marketing@theflutterexpress.com Phone: 518-217-5121