Viral photo is a call out for kidney donors
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A man wearing a t-shirt which read, "In Need Of Kidney, O Positive," made Rocio Sandoval and her husband, Juan, do a double take last week at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park.
The Orlando couple asked the man, Robert Leibowitz, of New Jersey, if they could post a picture of his shirt on Facebook.
"We just wanted to help him out," Rocio said.
"They made me the happiest person in the world," Robert said. "I said, absolutely!"
These total strangers who met between Cinderella Castle and Frontierland never would have guessed that last week's post would have gone viral.
Robert is a huge Disney fan and a single dad of five. He has been on dialysis and a waiting list for three years now.
"There's not enough kidney donors out there in the country, and because I'm O positive, I am a universal donor and can give to everybody else, but an O can only get an O," he said.
Robert said he has received hundreds of messages from people saying they are O positive and would like to reach out to one of the five hospitals where he is on a donor recipient list.
Rocio is thrilled with the awareness she's raised, and as for Robert? Let's just say he's a big believer in "pixie dust."
"We're hoping in the near future I can give her a big hug in person with a new kidney, celebrating at Disney!"
"I met the man for 30 seconds, and I feel like we're going to have a lifelong connection. That actually makes me very emotional," Rocio added.
"I love you and your husband, that's my message! I really do, she is my guardian angel," said Robert.