The PKD Foundation / PKDCure.org sent me today’s featured t-shirt.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) affects 600,000 Americans and 12.5 million people worldwide (that’s 1 in 500), including newborns, children and adults regardless of sex, age, race or ethnic origin. It comes in two forms: 

1. Autosomal dominant (ADPKD), one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases.  ADPKD affects between 1 in 500 people. It does not skip a generation. There is usually a family history of ADPKD.  Parents with ADPKD have a 50 percent chance of passing the disease on to each of their children.

2. Autosomal recessive (ARPKD), is a rare genetic disorder, occurring in approximately 1 in 20,000 individuals. It affects boys and girls equally and often causes significant mortality in the first month of life.

There is no treatment or cure, but there is hope.

The Walk for PKD is THE national event to raise funds for research and to bring awareness to PKD and started on October 18, 2008 across the country, and the last event is scheduled for this coming Sunday, November 9th in Los Angeles.  Your local walk may have come and gone, but you can still make a difference in the fight against Polycystic Kidney Disease by joining in the 2008 Virtual Walk for PKD. The PKD Foundation is  501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.  Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

P.S. See what my Halloween costume was! Note, I wasn’t wearing my red wig that I wore here last week.