My name is Rachel Hurford and PKD has affected my family for as long as I can remember. My grandad had PKD, and though my grandma donated her kidney to him, he still suffered complications after the donation and sadly passed away. My dad was also diagnosed with PKD. For many years, this didn’t affect him— until it did. His whole diet/way of life changed. I wanted to donate my kidney to him, but unfortunately, when I went for tests, I too was diagnosed with PKD. My dad narrowly avoided dialysis and was so lucky to receive a kidney donation from my cousin.
The process of building up to a transplant was massive. The diet changes my dad had to make to keep certain levels in line were a complete lifestyle change. After two years, my cousin successfully donated her kidney to my dad and so far everything is as it should be for a new kidney.
PKD needs more awareness because of how it affects families in their day-to-day life. There is light, there is hope, but there is still no cure. I am stage 1 with two yearly checks to see how my GFR is. Let’s bring more awareness to this disease. Time is of the essence and with more funding, the more research, the more treatments, and hopefully, a cure.