PKD Life: Family Business; Combat Human Organ Black Market; PKD Fundraising

PKD Life

From 2Paragraphs

The Profit: NYC Bagel Deli Owner Lost 2 Children To PKD Kidney Disease

Corey Kaplan on The Profit (CNBC)

On the Season 6 premiere of The Profit, small business investor Marcus Lemonis visits NYC Bagel Deli, a bagel chain with three locations in downtown Chicago which sells over 1,000 bagels daily. On The Profit, according to CNBC, “the overbearing owner” Corey Kaplan “ignores his wife’s business ideas and hangs on to the outdated look of his cluttered storefronts.” Marcus tries to help Cory re-brand the company and help develop new products. But not a lot of small business owners like change.

While getting to know Corey and his wife Candis, Lemonis learns that the couple had five children but “two of them are in heaven,” says Corey. The two children they lost, Corey and CorriAngel, both died extremely young of PKD, polycystic kidney disease. It is a chronic, genetic disease causing uncontrolled growth of cysts in the kidney, often leading to kidney failure. Lemonis encouraged Corey to change the name of NYC Bagel Deli to Corey’s NYC Bagel Deli in honor of his children.

After filming The Profit, Corey Kaplan wrote of Lemonis’ huge heart and “the fact that he is helping us bring awareness to PKD (the disease that our children died from), I will never forget him and his open-hearted kindness.” The Profit airs Tuesdays at 10 pm on CNBC.

Organ Transplants

From Australian Broadcast Corp., By political reporter Stephanie Dalzell

Australian transplant waiting list contributes to human organ black market, committee says

Key Findings:

Committee finds if Government doesn't act, organ market will flourish

About 1,400 Australians waiting for transplant, 11,000 on renal dialysis

Average waiting time for replacement kidney is 3 years


The criminal masterminds behind the illegal trade of human body parts raked in $2.3 billion around the globe last year.

About 12,000 organs were sold on the black market, and while the majority of those exchanges involved kidneys, 654 hearts and 2,615 livers were sold for up to $394,000 each.

That illegal trade will continue to grow if the Australian Government does not do more to deter human organ trafficking, according to a unanimous report handed down by a parliamentary committee.

About 1,400 Australians are currently waiting for an organ transplant, while a further 11,000 are on kidney dialysis, and the committee found if the government failed to address the gap between the number of people requiring organ transplants and the limited supply of freely donated organs, the black market would keep flourishing.

Commercial organ market

Organ	Global illicit transplants (per annum)	Price range (AUD)
Kidney	7,995	$68,000 - $163,000
Liver	2,615	$134,000 - $197,000
Heart	654	$176,000 - $394,000
Lung	469	$203,000 - $394,000
Pancreas	233	$149,000 - $190,000

The chairman of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, Liberal MP Kevin Andrews, told Parliament the average waiting time for a kidney in Australia was three years.

"Desperate people often facing certain death without a transplant may travel far from their own countries to places such as Egypt, the Philippines or Pakistan, paying tens of thousands of dollars or more, for an organ transplant, where the donor is most likely in dire financial straits, possibly exploited, and unable to give free and informed consent to donation," Mr Andrews said.
Cutting down demand

The committee's report recommended the Australian Government pursue a range of measures to strengthen its involvement in international efforts to combat human organ trafficking, collect data on Australians involved in illegal organ trafficking overseas and also tighten criminal laws around organ harvesting.

It also concluded the Government should seek to improve organ-donation rates through ongoing funding of programs, education awareness campaigns, and the investigation of other international programs — such as opt-out organ donation.

Mr Andrews said the committee heard from many people who argued protections against the practice needed to be strengthened.

PKD Fundraising

From MLive, By Greg Chrapek  chrapek@mlive.com

West Michigan Aviation Academy hosting `Teal Out' basketball game to raise awareness of polycystic kidney disease

The West Michigan Aviation Academy boys basketball team is capping a week of fundraising by the school by hosting a 'Teal Out Night' game against Hopkins this Friday.

The Teal Out event is part of a week-long effort by the students that serves as a fundraiser and awareness activity to end polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Student activities during the week include Penny Wars, t-shirt sales and an auction. Teal is the official color for PKD. East year the students at West Michigan Aviation Academy select a non-profit organization to work with and PKD was chosen as this year's charity.

Speaking at the game even will be Dr. Greg Vanden Heuvel from Western Michigan University and Kim Ahrens, a Detroit PKD representative. The event is taking place to bring awareness of PKD to West Michigan and generate funds for research to find a cure.

Friday's basketball game with Hopkins is schedule for 7 p.m. this at the school located at 5363 44th St. SE.