September 4 is the National Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Day, recognized by the Government of Canada and 41 cities across the country. We are more than 13 million individuals of all origins who suffer from this hereditary disease, and there is no cure. It is the most common hereditary disease and one of the 4 largest causes of end-stage kidney disease in the world. We can only rely on dialysis or kidney transplantation to help us, and both of these solutions have severe consequences for patients’ lives.
A normal kidney is about the size of a closed fist, but a polycystic kidney can become the size of a football because of the cysts that form in it and are filled with fluid! Imagine walking around with two big footballs in your belly, weighing up to 30 pounds each! Discomfort is significant, and causes serious health issues in patients who suffer from it.
What can be done to make a difference in the lives of PKD patients?
To celebrate the day, I invite you to participate in the movement against PKD and to get involved against it. We must find a cure, and it is through research that we will get there! It is too late for me; even if we find a cure my disease is too advanced and my kidneys too scarred. But thousands of people rely on us to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of their children!
Every September, the PKD Foundation of Canada organizes a large walk that takes place simultaneously across the country to raise funds for research. This is their biggest fundraising event of the year. It collects the majority of the money that they then give back to researchers in the form of grants. They are looking for ways to slow down and even stop the disease for good! This year, the march in Montreal will take place on September 11 at Centennial Park. I will be there and will be happy to see you there!
Starting point address for the walk: Centennial Park, Dollard Des Ormeaux, 3000 Lake St, QC H9B2M1
To donate to the PKD Foundation and help make this disease go away: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/pkdwarrior
To learn more about PKD, you can:
- Explore the PKD Foundation of Canada website or
- the page I created about the disease.
- The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s website also has a document that explains the disease well (in French).
See you soon!
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