FOUR BROTHERS - TWO KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS
HOW A FOUR-WAY ORGAN SWAP COULD SAVE LIVES IN SEATTLE & YAKIMA

Two pairs of brothers expected to exchange kidneys this fall.

(Seattle) Friday, September 22, 2006 — Layne Smith needs a new kidney. His older brother Gary wants to be a donor, but he’s not a match for Layne. Instead, Gary Smith will donate his kidney to a Yakima man. In exchange, that Yakima man’s brother will donate his kidney to Layne Smith. It’s called a paired kidney swap. The four surgeries are expected to take place this fall.

Layne Smith suffers from polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Until a few years ago, he didn’t even know what PKD was. Smith was diagnosed after a skiing accident. An ultrasound revealed the multiple cysts on his kidneys.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is the world’s most common, life-threatening genetic disease. It affects more people than Down syndrome, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy combined. An estimated 12. 5 million people suffer from PKD. Cysts grown on their kidneys and eventually the kidneys fail. There is no treatment or cure for PKD.

Since his diagnosis, Layne Smith has been involved with the Seattle Chapter of the PKD Foundation. The not-for-profit PKD Foundation is the only organization, worldwide, dedicated to finding a treatment and a cure for this devastating disease. For more information about PKD and the PKD Foundation, visit www.pkdcure.org or call 1-800-PKD-CURE.

To arrange interviews with Layne Smith or other PKD patients, contact Media Manager Jennifer Robinson at jenniferr@pkdcure.org or (816) 268-8493.