A man from New Jersey who needed a new kidney used an unusual tactic to try and find a donor: he wore his plea on a t-shirt and walked around Disney World in August.
Rob Leibowitz, 60, said that he acted “out of desperation” when he decided to have a t-shirt printed with the words, “In Need of Kidney, O Positive,” followed by his phone number. He wore the shirt for nine days on a family trip.
Leibowitz, a single dad of five, unexpectedly got a response with his creative strategy, from a complete stranger across the country, Fox News reports. As a result, Leibowitz received a new kidney on Thursday.
Leibowitz said, “You know, I came up with idea because I think it’s out of desperation. I look at my kids. When I’m with my kids, all my problems go away and I needed more time with them.
While out and about with the shirt on, other people at the theme park caught sight of the plea and posted photos on Facebook, according to Pix 11. Leibowitz said he “was in shock” over all the calls he started getting.
Eventually, a potential donor with a matching blood type got in touch with Leibowitz.
Richie Sully, from Indiana, related that a friend sent him the post about Leibowitz’s call for help while he was donating blood to victims of Hurricane Harvey. Sully left a voice message for Leibowitz, offering his kidney.
The message read,
Hi, my name is Richie. I saw your post. I have an extra kidney. I’m O-positive. You’re more than welcome to have it.
The pair underwent a transplant surgery at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, with Sully saying it was “not a big deal.” He added that he wished more people understood the situation so that there could be more donors.
Leibowitz, on the other hand, is not downplaying the event and plans to than Sully “for the rest of my life.” He said, “I keep saying, ‘Thank you.’ But you can’t put into words what he did for me, so I’ll have to figure out how to do the best I can for the rest of my life.”
