Welcome to the PKD Foundation of Canada's April e-News! We have provided information important to helping you take action in your journey with PKD.

To view the e-News in French click here!

LEARN

ATTN Halifax! We hope you’ll join us for our upcoming PKD Patient Forum with Dr. Steven Soroka! Patients and their loved ones are invited to join this educational forum. Admission is FREE and all are welcome to attend! Learn more and RSVP here!




Living with PKD you’ve probably heard that you need to drink more. This month, Emily Campbell registered dietitian dives into the rationale behind fluids and PKD. Visit Emily's latest blog post to learn why fluids are important and tips and tricks for managing your fluid intake.



'All About Polycystic Kidney Disease' was co-presented by the Centre for Living Organ Donation and the PKD Foundation of Canada, and provided an in-depth look at the journey with polycystic kidney disease from a transplant recipient perspective, Jan Robertson, a nephrologist who specializes in PKD, Dr. Moumita Barua and the Executive Director of the PKD Foundation of Canada, Jeff Robertson.

Watch Now!

The recording of the latest Canadian Blood Services' Public Education and Awareness Committee Community Forum is now available online! Kim McMullen of Flipside Creative hosts a special presentation for partners across the country, outlining the marketing plan for an upcoming national awareness campaign to launch in time for NOTDAW 2023, "Leave Well". This campaign will aim to raise awareness about the critical need for more donors in Canada, and encourage Canadians to register their decisions and to talk about organ donation and its impact.

Watch Now!

SUPPORT

We hope you can join us for a virtual screening of the documentary “Perfect Strangers”, on 26 April 2023 from 6:30pm-8pm EST. “Perfect Strangers tells the story of two unique and engaging characters. One is Ellie, who embarks on an unpredictable journey of twists and turns, determined to give away one of her kidneys. 500 miles away, Kathy endures nightly dialysis and loses hope of receiving a transplant; until Ellie reads her profile on an online website. Both women face unexpected challenges as their parallel stories unfold over the course of four years.”

Following the screening of this documentary, we will be joined by the director, Jan Krawitz, and PKD patients Kathy and Morgan, for a Q&A session.

RSVP Today!

Check out this RogersTV documentary featuring the Transplant Ambassador Program! Documentary Producer, David Aguiar takes a look at the Transplant Ambassador Program and their work to increase pre-emptive living donor kidney transplantation.

Watch Now!

AWARENESS

BeADonor Month is about raising awareness of organ donation and encouraging all eligible Canadians to register to become organ donors. To learn more about how you can get involved, visit beadonor.ca!

The NOTDAW campaign acknowledges the thousands of patients in Canada who are in need of a transplant, and those who have died waiting. Canadians are reminded to register their intent to donate and to discuss their wishes with family and friends.

Visit organtissuedonation.ca to find out how to become an organ donor in your province.

Researchers at the University of Maryland are conducting a research study to identify genetic factors associated with brain aneurysm formation in ADPKD patients. To learn more, click here!

“Hi! It’s me, Judith (Judith Bélair-Kyle - PKD Warrior), who told my story here almost a year ago. Since that time, a lot of things have changed. I am now transplanted with a new kidney, which a stranger gave to me thanks to my search for a donor on social media!”

To read Judith’s 'Voices of PKD' update, visit endpkd.ca/voices_of_pkd!

A New Brunswick couple is recovering after Brittany Hay donated a kidney to her partner and PKD patient, Colin Grieve. "They were a perfect match – including when it came to their organs." Read the full Global News article here, and watch their segment on CBC here!

Kim Pratt needed a kidney, and in 2018 she created a Facebook post looking for a potential donor. Listen to the story about Kim's Facebook campaign and her friendship with CJ, her eventual living kidney donor, here!

Toronto General Hospital (TGH) has ranked number five among the world’s best hospitals in a global ranking managed by a global market research company in partnership with Newsweek.

With many of our southern Ontario PKD community attending TGH, we extend a heartful congratulations for this achievement for their exceptional patient care, research, and education. Read more about how TGH measures up, here!

Working for a cure, 

Your Friends at the PKD Foundation of Canada

Every gift - no matter the size - can make a difference in the fight against PKD. Please consider making a donation today.