NYT Columnist Nicholas Kristof Shines a Light on PKD
When a two-time Pulitzer-prize-winning New York Times columnist calls attention to an obscure disease you can't stop thinking about, what can you feel but gratitude?

Dad's Life or Yours? You Choose [NYT]

Thank you, Mr. Kristof, for shining a light on one of the terrible dilemmas faced every day by families with PKD. The dilemmas remain, of course, but your attention lightens our burden and gives us hope. Thank you! And thank you, as well, to the Waddington family, for going on the record about PKD. Many are unwilling to do so. But we're stronger, and closer to a cure, when we stand up. You stood up. Thank you!!!   -- Kenny

Hudson Valley Walk Raises More Than $60,000!
Last Saturday I was thrilled to attend the Hudson Valley Walk for PKD in Bedford Hills. What a wonderful place. The Walk was so well organized -- thank you, Sam Friedlander, Heidi Cambareri, and many, many others -- that everyone could relax and just have fun. Plenty of food came from Shop-Rite and Whole Foods. And as always at a PKD event, there was plenty of bottled water.

Of course we weren't there just to have fun - but to help cure PKD. And Hudson Valley certainly did its part, bringing in more than $60,000 by the day of the Walk - and still counting!

At center is Luke Sclater-Booth, a young boy dealing with ARPKD, the brutal recessive form of PKD. At right is Stuart, Luke's dad. Stuart donated a kidney to Luke a couple of years ago. Luke's team, led by his mom Kirsten, helped raise more than $9,000 for research.

This Imperial Stormtrooper donated a kidney to a friend back in April. Did I feel jealous when some of the kids were more eager to talk to him than to me? You bet. Would I have made the same choice, if I was 10? You bet I would. Who doesn't love a stormtrooper?



This motorcycle club came together to support one of their own: The woman in the white T-shirt. And in so doing, they made PKD, for just a few moments, seem cool.

Even idyllic Bedford Hills, NY, is not exempt from profiling.

Heidi Cambareri, at left, put on the Hudson Valley Walk for five years before passing the torch this year. Heidi and my manager's wife, Victoria Brazell (center, great with child), are just two of the many wonderful people who came out to Walk for PKD. Thanks, everyone!! We'll see some of you in Manhattan on October 25th!  - Kenny

Thank You, Lyved and Andrew Galasetti!
Andrew Galasetti writes and edits a very interesting blog called Lyved. (Rhymes with 'Gived.') When I emailed Andrew about PKD, he very kindly invited me to write a guest post for his site.

And now it's up. Check it out, and if you like it, please leave a comment thanking Andrew:

Do What You Can - and Keep Smiling

Thank you, Andrew, for your time and the space on your blog!

Best,

Kenny

Gearing up for the TriState Walk - 10/25
Hi, there:

You may have wondered what a Walk for PKD looks like. Check out this passionate, effective and brief video. Just over a minute long, it was created by Amy Epstein, whose husband Jeremy died so recently, with the help of a filmmaker named Sandra Beltrao. Most of the footage comes from last year's TriState Walk for PKD in lower Manhattan.

This is why we Walk. Please support us. Please donate.

Best,

Kenny

Thank you, Chic Galleria and Beth Anderson!
Maybe I'm just too modest, but I hadn't thought of myself as a fashion icon. Not until this morning, anyway. I'm deeply flattered and grateful that Beth Anderson, who runs the very fun fashion site Chic Galleria, apparently finds giant kidneys easy on the eyes. Today she launched a raffle to help raise money for PKD research -- and she's sending people right to this site to enter.

Thank you, Beth and Chic Galleria! And if you're reading this and you're not Beth, please visit Chic Galleria and leave a comment showing your support! There could be a $25 Starbucks gift card in it for you. Meanwhile, thanks so much, Beth! And welcome, Chic Galleria readers! If you donate, please remember to make your middle name "Chic," so I can enter you into the raffle. Good luck!

-- Kenny