PKD walk raises more than $96,000 to help with research grants

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PKD walk raises more than $96,000 to help with research grants

(Created: Thursday, September 25, 2008 10:24 AM CDT)
Christina Rowland/ Staff Writer

It affects more people than Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, and sickle cell anemia combined and the worst part is there is no cure it.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) comes in two forms: autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

According to pkdcure.org both forms of the disease have no cure and the best method of treatment is either dialysis or a kidney transplant. ADPKD affects one 1 in 500 newborns, children and adults, regardless of sex, age, race or ethnic origin. It does not skip a generation. Parents with ADPKD have a 50 percent chance of passing the disease on to each of their children.

Both diseases affect children and newborns greatly and those that make it past age 10 are considered lucky.

Carolyn Morris was lucky enough not to have the disease, but for her first husband and daughter the luck ran out.

“It has been a disease that has impacted my family my whole adult life. My first husband was diagnosed at 25,” Morris said. “They said he would probably not live until he was 40.”

Morris lost her husband to the disease before he turned 50. Then it was her daughter Jamie’s turn to battle the disease. Jamie was diagnosed at age 17. She was lucky enough to receive a kidney transplant that has bought her more time. Even though it has been more than 20 years since Jamie was diagnosed, there is still no cure.

Carolyn and her daughter have found a new way to help fight the disease, by getting involved. Both are active members of the North Texas PKD chapter and have helped to bring the PKD walk to Southlake. This was the fifth year for the walk to be in Southlake.

The walk is a two-mile event that takes place the third Saturday of September every year.

“I think that the more awareness, the more realization for the need of raising funds for the research,” Morris said.

This year’s walk took place Sept.20 and had record attendance at 550, raising $96,191 to help fund research and find a cure for PKD.

The walk is a community-wide event where people from all areas of the community come together for one cause.

Mike Martinez has a faith-based competitive cheer team called the Crusader All Stars that he has been bringing for the past three years. The girls not only participate in the walk, but they also lead the stretching before the walk.

“It not only shows support for the community, but it shows them (the girls) the kind of things that are out there in life,” Martinez said. “The better they understand the more involved they will become in the community.”

Students from all over the community were involved in the event, including Team Rockenbaugh made up of teachers, students and parents. The team was formed to help support one of their fellow students who has the disease.

The goal for Morris this year was to raise enough money to fund research grants that are needed to find a cure for this disease. The PKD walk was a success this year and the fundraising efforts will continue through Nov. 9.

http://www.southlaketimes.com/articles/2008/09/25/southlake_times/news/8.txt