POULSBO — Even though she was the one sister who didn’t have Polycystic Kidney Disease, Joyce Padgett will lead the way for Team Challenge V at Sunday’s PKD Walk at Seattle’s Green Lake.

Padgett, the younger sister of Poulsbo resident Betty Bennett, died unexpectedly Feb. 16, 2006 and this year’s walk is dedicated to her memory, Bennett said.

“Even though she didn’t have PKD, she did so much to support those of us with PKD,” Bennett said.

According the PKD Foundation’s Web site, the condition — which causes painful cysts to grow on an individual’s kidneys — is the most common genetic, life-threatening disease, and it affects more than 600,000 Americans and an estimated 12.5 million people worldwide.

Because Padgett was her nearest sibling, Bennett said her sudden death has been difficult to cope with, but it has given a new focus for this year’s walk.

“She was so involved, and would do anything she could to help us,” Padgett said of her sister.

How much those family members without the disease have done and cared for those who suffer from PKD was never clearer than after her sister’s death, she said.

“It’s a pretty big load, and we’re dedicating this year’s walk to them,” she said.

With two of her sisters awaiting kidney transplants, Bennett said her family learned another hard lesson about the deadly disease when Padgett died.

Due to the difficulty of obtaining medical records on a weekend and other unforeseen circumstances, an opportunity for a possible kidney transplant was lost, she said.

“One of my sisters has been ill for so long that it has to be a real close match,” she said. “It was another circumstance that occurs with PKD.”

Even though she was battling a cold Tuesday afternoon, Bennett said she remains committed to the walk, which has helped researchers make great strides in the treatment of the disease.

“We don’t have a cure yet, but the treatments are getting better,” she said.

With the public, corporations and the government working together through the PKD Foundation, there is more hope than ever that a cure will be found for the deadly disease, Bennett said.

Fellow PKD sufferer Fred Siegenthaler of Poulsbo echoed Bennett’s optimism and said he, too, is looking forward to Sunday’s walk.

“It’s a good event because it helps raise money for the PKD Foundation,” Siegenthaler said.

Each year he meets someone who shares an inspirational story about their own experience with the disease, which gives him hope for the future, Siegenthaler said.

“It’s also great because my twin daughters get to join me,” Siegenthaler said, adding that this year he expects about 10 to 20 people to join his team.

Donations can be sent to: PKD Walk-Seattle Chapter, PKD Foundation, 9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 400, Kansas City MO 64114-3367.