Jessica Lynn

So I’m all registered for my second annual PKD Walk-a-thon in Connecticut! Last year Jaime invited me to come to the walk with her, her boyfriend Jon, and her mother Barbara. My first time meeting Jaime was at a BBQ for the mentoring program I had been invited to sign up for. It was established for people who labled themselves as minorities on their application to Quinnipiac. I didn’t really need a “mentor” but I figured it would be a good way to meet people right off the bat and establish some friendships with upper classmen. So when I went to the BBQ I was introduced to my mentor, Jaime. It was friend-love at first meet. Jaime and I are so similar in a lot of ways and it was really easy to become close friends with her right away. After the BBQ (which served all ethnic foods which I somewhat enjoyed), Jaime took me up the road to this AMAZING ice cream parlor where they handmake all the ice cream. It was delicious. On our way back to the car, Jaime got a phone call from her mom. We were sitting in her car when she started hysterical crying. Afterward, I found out her mom has PKD, polycysitc kidney disease. She told me all of the awful treatments her mom went through weekly and about the massive amounts of fundraisers she goes to and even puts together herself. She also told me that PKD is a genetic disease and that there is a 50% chance that she herself will be diagnosed with PKD in her lifetime. She was so dedicated to the cause and I could tell that it was not for selfish reasons. She isn’t doing all of this because she’s afraid she’ll have the disease, she’s working so hard so that her mom won’t have to suffer for the rest of her life.

About a month later Jaime told me about the walk for PKD at Lighthouse Point in Connecticut and asked if I wanted to go with her and her family. I went and I made whatever donation I could at the time and ended up having a lot of fun. Aside from the walk, I spent the weekend at Jaime’s apartment with her and Jon and we went bowling and out to dinner. The next day at the walk I met her mom who is the biggest sweetheart I’ve ever met. This woman who is in constant pain and goes through radiation treatments every week, never stopped smiling and laughing. It was such a great weekend and I’m so excited to do it again this year! I’m actually trying to reach the suggested pledge goal which is $200. Jaime’s team is one of the leading fundraising team going to the walk in October and I think it would be so great to add to that. I’m also hoping this years turn out will be a lot better than lasts.