Steven Watson was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in his youth after his father was found to have the same inherited condition. As his disease progressed, he developed severe complications, began dialysis in 2021, and spent years waiting for a kidney transplant. In 2024, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, temporarily ending his transplant journey. Having also lost his father to PKD-related complications and seeing his younger brother face the disease, Steven remains determined to raise awareness and inspire others through his story.
My name is Steven Watson. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) at a young age following my father’s diagnosis in the late 1980s. For many years, the condition had little impact on my daily life, but that changed in 2019 when I started experiencing symptoms. In 2019, I started passing kidney stones and noticed blood in my urine. The bleeding became so severe that my haemoglobin level fell to 63 g/L, and I needed six blood transfusions to restore it to a safe level.
In early 2021, I developed a severe blood infection, which significantly impacted my remaining kidney function. As a result, I began dialysis in March 2021, receiving treatment three times a week in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
I was placed on the transplant list several times over the past five years, but due to the blood transfusions, my platelets {editor’s note: cell fragments in your blood that act as the body’s naturalbandage} would more or less attack a donor’s cells, so I never received ‘the call’.
Then, in September 2024, I was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a brain tumor, and at the end of January that year I underwent surgery to have the tumor removed.
| It was then followed by 6 weeks of radiation, and 15 rounds of chemotherapy. | I have been told that I must be cancer-free for five years before I can become eligible to be placed on the transplant list again. |
My father was fortunate enough to receive two successful transplants: one from his older sister in 1995, and another in 2015, when a match was found on Thanksgiving as a result of a signed donor card. My younger brother has also recently been diagnosed with PKD and will likely be on dialysis before the trees bud this coming spring or early summer.
PKD has taken its toll on our family. We lost our dad in 2020, as he was severely immunocompromised and would catch anything that was going around. He also developed a severe blood infection, and his immune system was unable to fight it off. This loss has deeply affected my younger brother and me, as we know we could face the same fate.
It has been a long road fighting this disease, along with cancer, but my spirit remains strong and I try to stay positive. I recently published an autobiography in the hope that I can help and inspire anyone who is walking a similar path in life.
Luckily, I have a great team of healthcare professionals working with me. The nurses and staff at the Hemodialysis Unit go above and beyond to make sure I am being looked after and that I am on the right medications, even when I am eating what I should not eat. I would say my biggest challenge is fluid intake: I am on a 1-liter-a-day fluid restriction, and that can be tough, especially during the summer months.
I am very thankful for this life-saving treatment, also my doctors, who give the greatest care, and their support staff are amazing. I often worry about my younger brother, as he has had to watch his father and myself stumble through this disease and he is following our footsteps. I hope this campaign will help find a cure for all kidney diseases and will encourage people to get tested, as well as to sign their donor cards or register as living donors.
Disclaimer: The blog series is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to endorse or promote any specific drug, product, or brand. Each individual’s experience is unique and should not be construed as medical advice or a guarantee of similar results for others. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions regarding your health and well-being.
