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Member Stories
Two Charter Members of the PKD Legacy Society have shared their stories of why they are committed to helping the PKD Foundation fulfill its important mission.
Kimberly Gamble
Kimberly Gamble’s decision to name the PKD Foundation as a beneficiary of her 401(k) account was simple and straightforward.
“I want PKD cured,” she said.
A former co-coordinator of the PKD Foundation Chapter in Austin, Texas, Kimberly was diagnosed with PKD more than 20 years ago and wanted to spare others from her own experience with the disease.
“I was doing what I considered to be the right thing for the greater good,” she said. “I don’t want another person to have PKD and go through the fear of job loss, the fear of an aneurysm bursting, the pain of having a cyst burst. For the innocents – especially the children – the thought tears me up inside. More than anything, I don’t want them to go through this. So this is my part.”
Kimberly is hopeful other family members will follow her example and also give to the PKD Foundation in some way.
“My father, Ed Bowers, always said, ‘The best example you can set is by doing something yourself.’”
Malcolm Gailey
Malcolm Gailey of Atlanta follows a similar mantra, setting an example for family and friends as a longtime supporter of the PKD Foundation.
Malcolm became involved with the PKD Foundation after his wife, Ida Mae, was diagnosed, following the birth of their daughter. After nearly 20 years on dialysis, Ida Mae passed away in 1991. Their daughter, who also inherited PKD, received a successful kidney transplant ten years later in 2001.
Through it all, Malcolm felt the PKD Foundation was by his side, providing information, support and hope. Now, he looks forward to continuing his support of the PKD Foundation through a bequest in his estate.
“It’s a wonderful thing to be a part of an organization like the PKD Foundation in its investigations to help find a cure and treatments for this disease,” Malcolm said.