Jesse Brewster
There’s a tendency to internalize it and not get involved, but you shouldn’t be afraid about what people will think about the fact that you have PKD.
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Three years after he was diagnosed with PKD, his younger brother died from an aneurysm related to the same disease. A few years later, Jesse, who is a musician, came out with a CD whose proceeds benefit the PKD Foundation. He now plays at Walks throughout the country and does benefit shows in the name of the foundation.
He volunteers with the hope that, one day, the PKD Foundation will be irrelevant thanks to a cure for the disease. “There’s a tendency to internalize it and not get involved,” Brewster said. “But you shouldn’t be afraid about what people will think about the fact that you have PKD. Be vocal about the fact that it must be funded and a cure must be found.”
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Brandon Loritz
Brandon volunteers because he knows every dollar means one step closer to a cure for the disease he shares with many relatives.
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Brandon was diagnosed with PKD in June of 2008. The 16-year-old from Denmark, Wisconsin raises and sells hogs at a local auction. Last year, he donated the proceeds of the auction to the PKD Foundation on behalf of his Walk for PKD team, Brandon’s Backers. Thanks to his generous and close-knit community, Brandon’s Backers raised more than $6,000 with the auction alone and almost $17,000 in total.
Brandon volunteers because he knows every dollar means one step closer to a cure for the disease he shares with many relatives.
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Jaime Lazarus
Previous to the efforts of the PKD Foundation and the evolution of science and research, PKD used to be a death sentence, and now it is not.
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Jaime first got involved with the PKD Foundation to support her mother, a PKD patient whose kidneys had begun to fail. Jaime was also recently diagnosed with the disease. Now, she donates her time to coordinate the Connecticut Walk for PKD. It’s her way of working toward the cure.
She volunteers “because, previous to the efforts of the PKD Foundation and the evolution of science and research, PKD used to be a death sentence, and now it is not.” The foundation gives her hope that she might be the last person in her family to suffer the painful effects of the disease.
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Elizabeth Boulos
We can all work together to reach a common goal through participation at chapter meetings or events, or through personal contributions.
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According to Elizabeth, “we can all work together to reach a common goal through participation at chapter meetings or events, or through personal contributions.” Elizabeth Boulos is certainly throwing her fair share of punches in the ongoing fight against PKD.
Most recently, Elizabeth put her business and marketing skills to use by organizing and hosting a charity date auction to benefit PKD. This unique event allowed Boulos to spread awareness as well as raise nearly $1,300 in just a few hours. Because of people like Elizabeth, we can all be inspired to help knock out PKD.
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