Plea on T-Shirt Helps Man Find a Kidney Donor

Robert Leibowitz was a 60 year old single Dad of 5 children in August 2018, and was taking what he feared might be his last family vacation to Walt Disney World. He had suffered from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) his entire adult life, and now he needed a transplant to save his life.  He decided to advertise his need to the crowds at Walt Disney World in Florida while vacationing with family. He had t-shirts printed that included his phone number and wore them every day of the nine day vacation. On one of those days he was approached by a woman and her husband, who was also vacationing.  Rocio Sandoval walked up to Mr. Leibowitz and asked permission to take his photo and share it on her Facebook account.  Rocio said “This man turned around with the biggest smile on his face, and said Yes Please!”.  She said, “He gave both my husband and I a big hug, then said  Thank You, please share it with the world”.    The photo amassed thousands of shares on Facebook within just a few hours.  In Indiana, it caught the attention of a man named Richie Sully, who called the number on the shirt and began talking to Robert Leibowitz, he told him he wanted to help.  

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Kindness From A Stranger

“He has a heart bigger than you can ever imagine “, Mr. Leibowitz said about Richie Sully during an interview with a CBS correspondent. 

“Words cannot explain, this guy is saving my life, HE’S SAVING MY LIFE!  He’s giving me more time with my kids”, he said.  Sully told CBS that “He knew he had an expiration date.  He knew he had a shelf life.  I saw this as a desperate act, I couldn't think of a reason not to call the guy.  It just seemed like this is something you’re supposed to do”.  He said.  Sully told CBS he made a couple of trips to New York for blood work, and after an “emotional roller coaster”, The two found out they were a match.

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He Was A Match

“Just because you are a blood type match doesn’t mean you are going to be a match”  Mr. Leibowitz told CNN.  “They look at every enzyme, every single tissue, there are so many details they have to do”.  

Robert Lebowitz had been on 5 different transplant lists for three years, while receiving dialysis treatments three times a week.  After testing confirmed Richie Sully to be an almost perfect match, the transplant was scheduled for just months afterward.  Together they created a GoFundMe page to help with the travel expenses because Sully would be paying out of pocket.  He had twice taken a greyhound bus from Indiana to New York for the testing, for the surgery itself they decided it would be nice for him to fly instead.  Robert Leibowitz’s medical insurance would cover the cost of the surgery for his donor, but not the additional expenses for a plane ticket and hotel room. 

The surgery was performed in early 2019 at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Both of the men recovered well with no complications. Sully was released 2 days after his donation surgery and he visited Mr. Leibowitz each of his remaining 4 days in the hospital. The two men had become good friends. Richie Sully will live with one kidney. Robert Leibowitz will have three kidneys for the rest of his life.

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Lifelong Friends Encourage Others To Become Donors

“I want to encourage people to become donors.  It’s amazing how lives can be saved.  I was so touched by the stories of his family”, said Richie Sully. 

A year after first finding out they were a match, the two men reunited in New York City, where they, and their families participated in the National Kidney Foundation’s fundraising walk. The men reportedly said they expect to be lifelong friends, and would like to make fundraising and raising awareness about the living donor programs an annual event.  

“It’s still difficult to absorb that the t-shirt actually worked”, Leibowitz told People Magazine. “When I did it I was hoping if I could just get one person Who is a potential match, that would be worth it”, he said. “But, the fact that….hundreds of people started calling me, I am just thrilled that good people reached out”. 

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Video

This video from CBS DFW features an interview with both Robert Leibowitz and Richie Sully as they described this experience.

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References

CBS News

People

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About the Author

Monica McCarthy has bachelors in Political Science and Criminal Justice from Central Washington University.  A majority of her career was spent as a political consultant.   She currently works at KidneyLuv as a staff writer.

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Patient Education Disclaimer

This material is for informational purposes only. It does not replace the advice or counsel of a doctor or health care professional. KidneyLuv makes every effort to provide information that is accurate and timely, but makes no guarantee in this regard. You should consult with, and rely only on the advice of, your physician or health care professional.

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