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Hi, my name is Robyn Goldman. My dad has a genetic kidney disease known as Polycystic
Kidney Disease, or PKD. PKD is a common disease affecting one out of every 500 people, yet
hardly anyone has ever heard of it. PKD causes the slow growth of cysts on the kidneys. They
eventually grow and crowd out the functioning nephrons resulting in kidney failure. I also
have PKD, as do many of my cousins and family members. My dad was managing well despite
his slow decline in kidney function but his health has been deteriorating recently. About
a year and a half ago, the doctors told him he needed to begin to prepare for dialysis.
We watched, as he went in and out of surgeries, trying to put in an access, called a fistula,
for hemodialysis many times with unsuccessful results. After those unsuccessful results,
my dad went in to have a tube put into his stomach for peritoneal dialysis. After letting
the site heal, receiving training, and getting all of his equipment, my dad started the nightly
dialysis process that would cleanse the toxins from his blood. Each night he connected himself
to the machine and allowed the dialysis to do what it was supposed to -- filter out the
toxins via a solution that was put into his abdomen and then automatically drain it out.
The process was supposed to take about 8-10 hours. Unfortunately, my dad never slept through
the night. His machine would clog and beep endlessly several times each night. His blood
pressure and kidney function were not controlled. Over Memorial Day weekend, my dad developed
acute stomach pain and shortness of breath and was taken to the hospital. Over 6 days,
he had 3 more surgeries to try to move and fix the catheter in his stomach area. The
results were again unsuccessful and the nurses were unable to get it to work. By that point
in time, he had gone almost 2 weeks without dialysis and his body was getting poisoned
by toxins that his kidneys were unable to get rid of. They had to operate a 4th time
to put in a temporary catheter into his neck in order to do the dialysis. My dad was discharged
Friday 6/14/13 with the temporary line in his neck for hemodialysis. He must travel
to a dialysis center, 40 minutes away from home, 3 times a week. This is not an ideal
situation. My dad is a wonderful man. He is quiet but fun. He loves his family and he
doesn't like to bother people with his own problems, but he is always there when someone
needs him. My brother is getting married in May, and we all want him to be there and to
be healthy. My dad doesn't have the luxury of time that some people do, to wait on the
list for years and years, like some people do. The dialysis is not working. We are looking
for a living donor. Someone who is willing to give a kidney to my dad to help save his
life. Please, help us hunt for a kidney for my dad.