Coming September 4th...PKD awareness day.

What polycystic kidneys can become

 Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is the most common life-threatening genetic disorders.  It affects millions of people across the world. The most common form (ADPKD) causes 50% of the people afflicted with it to go into kidney failure at some point in their lifetime.  PKD kidneys become filled with cysts.  Normal kidneys are about the size of a fist. A PKD kidney can be the size of a football and weigh as much as 30 pounds.  Over time the cysts can take over normal kidney tissue and cause kidney failure. The cysts can also cause severe pain. Other issues can be caused by this genetic disorder including high blood pressure,  brain aneurysms, Polycystic Liver Disease (PLD) and many others. There are currently no FDA approved treatments and no cure.
   Sadly very few people have ever heard of this disease!
My family has been affected by PKD for at least 5 generations! My grandfather and his mother both passed away because of this disease. My mother and I have both received life-saving kidney transplants from living donors (mine less than 4 months ago). My youngest daughter has also been diagnosed.
   We are in need of more support and research.  No more children, mothers, fathers, grandparents should have to suffer and/or die from PKD!
Please take time to learn about PKD and make a donation while at it.  Every dollar counts! go to pkdcure.org .
Sign up to be an organ donor. This is the website if you live in Utah yesutah.org   
Outside of Utah www.organdonor.gov
Also, take time and learn about becoming a living kidney donor.  Here are 2 websites that can give you information.

www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors 

http://intermountainhealthcare.org/hospitals/imed/services/transplantnew/Pages/donors.aspx

The kidney I was given by a living donor

My donor, me and our awesome husbands on transplant day

The logo I created for our transplant