The Walk for PKD

PKD, or Polycystic Kidney Disease, is the nation's most common life-threatening genetic disease, but it's also one of the least known.  David Damiani of the Tidewater Chapter of the PKD Foundation is working to change that.

PKD does not exhibit itself overtly; the damage it causes is entirely internal.  The condition causes cysts to grow in and on kidneys, leading them to grow in size but diminish in function.  Most people don't know they have it until the damage has been done.  For many, the ultimate "cure" for PKD is a kidney transplant.

Damiani became involved with the PKD Foundation when he discovered the wife of a friend had been diagnosed with PKD.  Her children could carry the gene as well.  PKD is carried by a dominate gene, meaning offspring of a PKD patient have a 50% chance of contracting the disease.

The Walk for PKD is a chance for the PKD Foundation to raise money for the cause of treating and (hopefully) curing the disease.  It's also a chance for Damiani to educate the public about this largely unknown disease.

The 2012 Walk for PKD will happen Saturday, November 3rd at 17th Street Park in Virginia Beach.  For information, visit www.WalkForPKD.org/Tidewater.

To hear my interview with David Damiani about PKD, visit the podcast page of my public affairs show, Hampton Roads Topics.