PKD Free Alliance

09/04/2026

Today is PKD Awareness Day.

Throughout PKD Awareness Month, we’ll be sharing information and resources for PKD-impacted families, patient stories and testimonials, and simple ways you can help us reach more families with information about their reproductive options.

Follow along all month and join our email list so you don’t miss what’s ahead.

Sign up at pkdfree.org/join.

Together, we can build a PKD-Free future.

09/01/2026

September is .

This month, we're asking our community to do something simple that could make a meaningful difference: start a conversation.

Our “5 Things Every PKD-Impacted Family Should Know” resource is a simple guide to PKD, genetic testing, family planning options, IVF with PGT-M, and more: https://www.pkdfree.org/5-things-every-pkd-family-should-know

Know someone who could benefit from this information? A quick conversation could help them discover options they didn’t know were available.

08/27/2026

We're proud to share an exciting milestone: more than 200 families affected by PKD have now turned to PKD-Free Alliance for education, guidance, and/or financial support on their journey toward a PKD-free future!

Our reach now extends across 43 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces, and most importantly, 34 PKD-free children have been born to date, with another 19 pregnancies currently underway.

We're incredibly grateful to every family, healthcare professional, and supporter who has helped us reach this milestone. Together, we're building greater awareness of reproductive options and helping more families envision and realize a future free from PKD.

Read today's press release and share this post to help us reach even more impacted families:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67228c387192a401a75fba28/t/6a8f427a8ec68b43172e62c0/1787773563643/PKD-Free+Alliance+200+Families+Supported+August+2026.pdf

07/01/2026

NPR recently featured advances in embryo genetic screening and the important conversations surrounding these technologies.

The article discusses polygenic embryo screening, which estimates the chance of developing complex diseases or traits.

For families affected by PKD, many instead pursue preimplantation testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M), a well-established test used during IVF to identify embryos with a known inherited genetic condition like PKD.

Every family's journey is unique.

At PKD-Free Alliance, we're committed to helping individuals and couples affected by PKD understand their reproductive options, including IVF, PGT-M, and available grant funding. Learn more at pkdfree.org.

Prospective parents can now pick embryos based on risk predictions for thousands of diseases and odds for specific traits. But should they?

06/21/2026

This Father’s Day, we celebrate the unwavering dedication of fathers who are leading their families toward a PKD-Free future. Some are battling PKD themselves, facing challenges with resilience and hope. Others stand beside their spouses, providing strength and support as they navigate this journey together.

Marcus Payne, a two-time kidney transplant recipient, and his wife, Callie, pursued IVF and preimplantation genetic testing with support from our grant program. Their daughter, Hazel Sue Payne, was born PKD-free on May 28, 2025.

Learn about the Payne family in a new American Kidney Fund blog post.

Marcus and Callie Payne share how, through IVF and PGT, they were able to have a baby who does not have PKD

05/23/2026

PKD-Free Alliance recently collaborated with Sinem Karipcin, MD, Director of the Pre-Pregnancy Genetics Program at Columbia University’s Fertility Center to outline key genetic and reproductive care considerations for those interested in exploring IVF with PGT-M.

We've compiled these notes in a step-by-step care pathway to support safe family planning and informed reproductive choices.

View our care considerations resource: https://www.pkdfree.org/resources-and-allies/care-considerations

03/12/2026

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common inherited cause of kidney failure worldwide.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) with preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) allows impacted families to stop the disease from being passed on.

PKD-Free Alliance proudly provides grant funding to qualified families to help offset costs associated with these life-changing procedures.

This , you're encouraged to learn more about the PKD-Free Babies initiative: https://www.pkdfree.org/pkd-free-babies

02/09/2026

Heedeok Han, MD (), and PKD-Free Mother, Abby, appeared on on January 21, 2026, to discuss polycystic kidney disease and how assisted reproductive technology and grants from the Alliance are allowing patients the ability to not pass on this genetic condition to the next generation

Watch the full PIX 11 Morning News segment at the link in our profile.

01/21/2026

Today, January 21, 2026 marks one year since our organizational rebranding from PKD Outreach Foundation to PKD-Free Alliance. Over the past twelve months, we focused our mission by prioritizing access to grant funding for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-M) and in vitro fertilization (IVF), so families impacted by polycystic kidney disease could stop the disease from being passed on to the next generation.

Read our Press Release: https://www.pkdfree.org/media-center

Additionally, organizational progress and growth over the course of the past year are detailed in our first-ever "Impact Report." Learn about the success of our grant program, expanding outreach and partnerships, and measurable progress toward a PKD-Free future.

View the Impact Report: https://www.pkdfree.org/impact-reports

In 2026, we are committed to strengthening educational outreach and collaboration with medical providers to ensure PKD families are best informed about effective options to prevent disease transmission.

01/16/2026

It was an absolute pleasure meeting and conversing with Santa Barbara Nutrients at ASN Kidney Week!

Melina Messing, Scientific Director of Ren-Nu at Santa Barbara Nutrients, talks to Kevin Schnurr and Melinna Sanchez from the PKD-Free Alliance about their p...