2021 St. Loius Walk for PKD / October 8-17 / 10-day vertiual event /

Register & donate at walkforpkd.org & search for St. Louis!!!!

The St. Louis Chapter of the polycystic kidney disease (PKD) Foundation is hosting their annual Walk for PKD from October 8^th through 17^th. The 10-day Walk for PKD, which takes place in 50 cities nationwide, brings together more than 10,000 supporters and raises over $1 million to fund lifesaving PKD research. Affecting 600,000 Americans and 12.4 million people worldwide, PKD is one of the most common, life-threatening genetic kidney diseases. Researchers are urgently working on treatments and a cure as PKD is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure.

Jean Sommer of Glen Carbon, IL serves as the Coordinator of the St. Louis Chapter of the PKD Foundation. For the past 17 years, Jean has walked in honor of her late mother Betty Jean. Betty Jean passed away from complications caused by PKD, which was undiagnosed at the time. It wasn’t until years later when Jean and a sibling were diagnosed with the genetic kidney disease, that they realized her mother’s underlying condition. This year’s Walk for PKD is more important than ever. Jean, who was diagnosed with PKD in 2001, has begun seeking a living kidney donor as doctors have determined she is in imminent need of a kidney transplant.

The theme of the 2021 Walk for PKD is “10 days. One goal.” The virtual format allows supporters to walk safely, wherever, and however, they choose, while raising awareness and funds for critical research. For more than 20 years, the Walk for PKD has been the signature fundraising and public awareness event for the PKD Foundation. Since 2000, the annual event has raised nearly $33 million with 100% of donations going to fund PKD research.

Register for the St. Louis Walk for PKD at walkforpkd.org and select St. Louis Chapter.

About PKD

PKD patients are in urgent need of treatments and a cure. PKD causes cysts to grow in the kidneys, eventually leading to kidney failure. Once a person has kidney failure, dialysis or a transplant are the only options to treat the damage the disease has caused. Parents with the disease have a 50 percent chance of passing it on to each of their children. Approximately 10 percent of the people diagnosed with PKD have no family history of the disease, with PKD developing as a spontaneous (new) mutation. A relatively rare form of PKD, autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), affects approximately 1 in 25,000 children worldwide and often causes death in the first month of life. 70% of children born with ARPKD survive the newborn period and one-third of those who survive will need dialysis or transplantation by the age of 10.

About the PKD Foundation

The PKD Foundation is the only organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for PKD to improve the lives of those it affects. Our mission: We give hope. We fund research, advocate for patients, and build a community for all affected by polycystic kidney disease. For more information about PKD and the PKD Foundation, visit: pkdcure.org or call 1.800.PKD.CURE (753.2873).