He never expected that a family trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom would change his life.
Man Walks Around Disney World In T-Shirt Pleading For A Kidney Then His Phone Blows Up
Robert Leibowitz, who’d been spending 12 hours a week on dialysis to prolong his life.
Decided to take his family to Disney World in Orlando, Florida for one final fun-filled trip.
He has suffered from chronic kidney disease for decades and decided to wear a T-shirt appealing for donors on his holiday.
The back of the shirt read: "In need of a kidney. O positive. Call 917-597-2651."
Robert's daughter made a t-shirt for him to wear around the resort in the hope that he may find a last-minute donor at Disney.
While they were walking around the park, a woman, Rocio Sandoval, came up to them.
She asked if she could take a picture of his shirt, which she then posted on Facebook.
Robert’s son, Max, tells PEOPLE:
"Her picture just blew up! When we were boarding the plane, it was at, like, 40,000 [shares.] That’s when the calls started coming in."
From the dozens of calls, five people were tested to see if they could safely donate a kidney to Robert.
In the end, Richie Sully, of Indiana, proved to be the perfect match.
Richie Sully, a 39-year-old father of two from Indiana, became Leibowitz’s knight in shining armor.
When asked why he’d chosen to give a kidney to a stranger, Sully matter-of-factly explained: "If I can give this guy 20 more years with his kids, who wouldn’t do that as a parent or as a person?"
Sully told WFTV.
"As a father, I could relate to having kids, and the last thing I would want my kids to worry about every night when they go to bed is how much more time they have with me.”
On Wednesday, January 18, Sully and Leibowitz underwent their surgeries at the New York Presbyterian Hospital both of which were a success.
Once Leibowitz is fully recovered he plans to meet Sully and his family at Disney World.
"That’s our goal. Richie’s my hero," he told People. "Our goal is to just reunite and give each other a big group hug because that’s where all the magic happened."