On October 6th, 2018, I celebrated my 2nd Kidneyversary! I could only do that due to God’s grace and my brother-in-law, Major Allen Buckhalt (US Army Blackhawk Pilot and Iraq/Afghanistan war Veteran), who was a match to donate his kidney and save my life. As all of you know (because you have been there for me and my family this whole time), I have polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic, life-threatening and incurable disease. There are only two treatments, dialysis or a kidney transplant. Most PKD patients have to go on dialysis and suffer debilitating effects. The PKD Foundation is changing all that as we march towards treatment and a cure!
It is not lost on me that I am now 100% back to normal and Allen is proudly serving once again. Living kidney donation is phenomenal and we need to encourage everyone to give life. Thanks in part to your help, the FDA recently approved JYNARQUE™, the first treatment in the United States for adult patients with the most common form of PKD (ADPKD). It has been show to preserve kidney function and slow the development of cysts. There are also clinical trials ongoing to develop not only a treatment, but a cure!
The curse of this disease is also a blessing. PKD is genetic. Both Maddie and Carson each have a 50% chance of inheriting this disease, and as you can imagine that “haunts” me each night. But even if you told me tomorrow that Maddie and Carson were in the clear, we would never stop fighting this fight. All you have to do is see the devastating effects of PKD on families. I have lost my maternal grandmother, uncle and mother to this disease and I intend on beating it out of existence! Because it is genetic and we are able to isolate the gene, we have made advances that have never been accomplished in other disease research.
This year we are hosting our 9th Annual PKD Kidney Casino for a Cure! Last year we raised nearly $120,000 for the PKD Foundation, and this year, with your help, we hope to surpass that goal!
Bekki and I chair the PKD Founders Council, where we are accelerating efforts to have every dollar raised go immediately towards PKD research. With your incredible help, over the past decade we have raised close to $600,000, funding multiple PKD research projects! We will find a cure for PKD in my lifetime. I have been given a second chance at life and I will not waste it. I know you will help us with our goal. Many of you have donated in the past and we desperately need your help again! Please do what you did last year or, if you can, do even more!
I cannot thank each of you enough for your past support and hope that you will continue to support our efforts this year. We want all of you to come to the event on Saturday, May 4th, but if you cannot, please look at the sponsorship levels and consider being there in spirit with us! No donation is too small. Checks should be made payable to the PKD Foundation and can be mailed directly to The Haggard Law Firm, 330 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134. ATTN: Stacy Laffere. The link below also allows you to RSVP, purchase a sponsorship, purchase individual tickets or donate directly to the PKD Foundation. The Kidney Casino Night is live on the PKD Foundation’s website so you can RSVP and register online using a credit card! Visit www.pkdcure.org/miami-kidney-casino
Thank you so much for your consideration of a donation to this worthy cause!
Sincerely, Michael Haggard
