October 2019 PKD e-News
October 2019
Greetings!
Welcome to the PKD Foundation of Canada's October e-News! We have provided information important to helping you take action in your journey with PKD.
Learn
Register Today for the Upcoming Calgary PKD Patient Forum
When: Wednesday, November 13 2019 at 6:00PM - 8:30PM
Where: Foothills Medical Centre, Health Sciences Centre, Clara Christie Theatre
Guest Speakers: Dr. Louis Girard + Jeff Robertson
Join us for the upcoming FREE PKD Patient Forum in Edmonton, AB!
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the most common life-threatening, genetic diseases affecting Canadians and can result in the growth of cysts that enlarge the affected kidneys, destroying its ability to function.
Patients and their loved ones are invited to join this forum to:
- Learn about what a PKD diagnosis can mean for you or a loved one, as well as how PKD can be managed from Dr. Louis Girard, Nephrologist, Co-Author of the Canadian Expert Consensus and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Calgary;
- Hear about what resources and support systems are available to you and your loved ones from Jeff Robertson, Executive Director, PKD Foundation of Canada;
- Have your questions answered during a Q&A period led by Dr. Louis Girard and Jeff Robertson; and,
- Meet other people living with PKD in your community.
Light food and beverages will be offered.
Free admission. All are welcome!
For more information, visit the event page on our website here.
Old Drug, New Tricks, Provides Hope For Patients With Polycystic Kidney Disease!
(Toronto, Canada – October 3, 2019) "Dr. York Pei, an award-winning scientist at the University Health Network, has discovered a potential new use for an old drug, providing hope for patients suffering from polycystic kidney disease.In a pre-clinical trial, Dr. Pei found Salsalate, a drug in the aspirin family, and an approved drug therapy for rheumatism, was successfully used to improve kidney survival and reduced cystic kidney disease severity.
Polycystic Kidney Disease is a major cause of genetic kidney failure and affects thousands of Canadians and millions of people worldwide. One of the main molecules that modify disease progression in PKD is called AMPK-activated protein kinase. AMPK exists in low levels in those suffering from PKD so Dr. Pei decided to study known AMPK activators to see if the combination would have a positive synergistic effect. What he found was surprising."
This is very exciting news for the PKD community! The PKD Foundation of Canada is proud to have helped play a role in this development through our research funding.
Read the full blog post here.
2019 BC Kidney Days Videos and PDFs Now Available Online!
Earlier this month, we have the pleasure of attending BC Renal's BC Kidney Days! This was a two-day event bringing together professionals from the province & beyond to learn from colleagues & patients about the latest in kidney care, kidney transplantation and kidney research.
For those who were unable to attend, BC Renal has now uploaded their presentations for viewing as videos or PDFs! 15 presentations involving 25+ speakers from BC Kidney Days 2019 conference, including Dr. Fouad Chebib covering Advances in Management of ADPKD: A Comprehensive Approach.
For a complete list of available sessions and their respective resources, click here.
Webinar Online: Day-to-Day Living For Children With PKD
Awareness
December 3rd 2019 is Giving Tuesday!
- Download one of our #UNselfie templates here and here.
- Email us your photo here.
- Share your #UNselfie on social media and tell your audience why you support the PKD community and the PKD Foundation of Canada!
Help People SEE ADPKD: Share Your Story Today!
Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is one of the world's most common, life-threatening genetic diseases. Your stories can help people paint a more powerful picture of PKD and the lives it affects.
Help give a voice to a widely unknown disease by sharing your story here.
You can read some of our Voices of PKD here!
Support
PKD Health Note: Self-Care Practice Before the Holidays
"Do you ever feel like your gas tank is just plain empty? While it may be easy to fill up your car at the gas station, when your personal tank is empty it is time to think about taking some time for yourself. When you neglect caring for yourself, it catches up to you in many ways including loss of sleep, difficulty concentrating, loss of patience, feeling burnout, etc." Support the PKD Foundation of Canada by Leaving a Future Gift
Legacy Gift
Your legacy gift will enable the PKD Foundation of Canada to create a powerful philanthropic legacy by making a direct impact on the advancement of critical Canadian research. If you have not had the ability to make a major gift during your lifetime, legacy giving can be meaningful source of funding from you.
A legacy gift is a gift by Will with lasting meaning and is the simplest way to create a legacy of everlasting hope. It is a future gift that will not cost anything during your lifetime, with no extra out-of-pocket costs and your income will not decrease.
You can learn more about planned giving by clicking here.
Wills and Bequests
Make a future gift of lasting support by remembering the PKD Foundation of Canada (PKDFOC) in your Will. A Bequest in your Will may be the biggest gift of your life, and has the power to change the lives of all affected by PKD for better. Help even more PKD patients look forward to a future of full recovery.
This gift will not cost you anything during your lifetime, with no extra out-of-pocket costs and your income will not decrease. One of the benefits of making a Bequest is that your estate obtains a charitable tax receipt for the full amount received. Also, if stocks or real estate you left have appreciated in value, your gift may be exempt from capital gains.
You can learn more about bequests by clicking here.
ReferPKD Tool Now Available Nationwide on endPKD.ca
The PKD Foundation of Canada is proud to continue supporting uKidney's ReferPKD tool, which is now accessible nationwide on our website here.
This tool will help you connect your general practitioner to physicians or clinics with a stated interest in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Your GP can then visit ReferPKD.com and have the option to refer directly to the physician with a well-informed referral, complete with all the information needed to plan a referral and omitting what isn't required.
Please note: At this time, endpkd.ca/referPKD and referPKD.com only list Canadian physicians or clinics with a stated interest in ADPKD.
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.