Our Story
I’m Rich Kellner, and Polycystic Kidney Disease (“PKD”) runs in my family.
My wife Jo had it and I donated a kidney to her in 2014. Her mother had two kidney transplants. Her sister has it and is on dialysis. Now, our two children and nephew have it. If we do nothing there is a 50% chance that each of my grandchildren and grand nieces and nephews will have it. While PKD was not the direct cause of Jo’s premature passing at 56, or her mother’s passing at 69, it was certainly a contributing factor in both cases. Until recently, we were told there was nothing to do until kidney failure begins.
When Jo’s kidneys failed, we were blessed that I was a match and able to donate my kidney to her. We had 7 great years before Jo needed another transplant. Only then did we learn there were options to delay the progression of PKD and to prevent it from being passed down to future generations. Awareness and access to those solutions could have been game-changing.
When we lost Jo in 2021, we knew we had to do something to help other families suffering from PKD, allowing Jo’s legacy of warmth, strength, and generosity to live on.