WHO:  Community members from the Hudson Valley (Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester Counties), their families and friends.

 

WHY:  To increase awareness of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and raise funds for PKD research. 

 

PKD is one of the most common, life-threatening genetic diseases - affecting 12.5 million people worldwide including 1600 in Westchester County alone.  It causes cysts to form in the kidneys, interfering with the kidney's ability to filter toxins out of the blood, resulting in eventual kidney failure.  Dialysis and transplantation are the only treatments.  There is no cure for PKD.

 

The Walk for PKD will help raise funds for medical research aimed at finding a treatment and cure for PKD.  The nationwide effort is expected to raise more than $4.5 million.  A cure for PKD would save lives, free up thousands of spots on the kidney transplant waiting list, and save billions of US tax dollars annually in dialysis-related expenses.  Research has identified the genes causing PKD and clinical trials of potential treatments are underway...now is the time to bring attention and funding to PKD research!