"My name is Clayton, and I am a 23-year-old paramedic living in Alberta. In March of 2020 I lost my father, Pete Rafuse, to PKD. PKD is an illness my father lived with for the majority of his life without issue. His doctor’s care plan was to monitor and see...
I live in southern Nova Scotia and have known that I have PKD since I was 18 years old. I am 55 now and am in end stage renal failure with my function being at 10%.
My name is Tetyana and I wanted to share my PKD story with you. I found out I had PKD at 22 at an emergency department here in Winnipeg MB. It was discovered by mistake. I had absolutely no knowledge what PKD was or how serious it is. I didn’t...
My name is Marie Lerminiaux. My journey with PKD began when I was young, watching my mother and aunt’s journeys and not truly understanding. Then, my sister’s kidneys failed when I was in my late 30’s.
I was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in 1996 at the age of 35. There is no history of PKD on either side of my family, so I have what is called a mutation. Both my children have tested negative for PKD, so that is a huge relief as the disease...
In 1998, my mother received the news that would change her life forever. Her baby boy had autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). This disease would affect his kidney function and cause him to require dialysis or a kidney transplant in the future. However the future wasn’t promised. In July...
Hello friends, good news to share: a kidney donor has been found!I’ve been holding off talking about this for a few months now. The disease makes me exhausted, and for some reason the prospect of writing this note felt too much to tackle. I also want to be very careful...
Willie Van Dyk "When I was around the age of 35 (1996) I was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. PKD is an inherited disorder where clusters of cysts to develop within your kidneys, causing your kidneys to enlarge and lose function over time." Nettie Van Dyk "When my husband, Willie,...
My name is Luisa Miniaci-Di Leo. Last October I turned 63, and each sunrise makes me feel bittersweet because I have already outlived my grandmother. I’m a resident of Dollard Des Ormeaux, and Montreal Chapter and Walk Coordinator for the PKD Foundation of Canada. Here’s why I took on the role as...
My name is David Lafleche and I am very pleased to have this opportunity to share my story and journey with PKD. It has been a long journey with a diagnosis going back to around my college days that resulted in some very early and profound life-changing decisions.