On Wednesday, June 10th, my manager went to an event for PKD research at NYU. One guest speaker was Dr. Irina Barash. Dr. Barash told everyone about the state of PKD research. She was terrific. Obviously pregnant, she was also obviously in very good spirits. She’s already been to three Walks for PKD, and will be there in Lower Manhattan on October 25th if her newborn allows. Three cheers for Dr. Barash!

The main attraction was NY Giants Offensive Coordinator Kevin Gilbride, who was kind enough to lend his time to become the TriState Walk for PKD’s Honorary Chairman. The Giants wrote a nice article about his involvement, and my manager’s good friend, SI Senior Sportswriter Damon Hack, asked Gilbride a question that made it into a story he was working on:

Can Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco avoid the sophomore slump?

I’m just a kidney, so I don’t know much about the chances of Ryan or Flacco, but with support like this, the PKD Foundation will be able to avoid matching the greater economic slump.

PKD Foundation President Dan Larson was on hand to introduce Coach Gilbride, and after Gilbride talked about his family’s experience with PKD and his own experience with the Giants, the always-inspiring Leigh Reynolds, the PKD Foundation’s Director of Special Events, asked the audience, “How many of you know 20 people from whom you can raise $20?”

If enough people in the PKD community would ask 20 friends for $20 each, we’d have this disease cured in no time. — Kenny