A young Great Kills father with another baby on the way was in desperate need of a kidney to live, and no one in his family provided a match.
But, finally, after two years of illness, dialysis and efforts as an advocate for organ donations, Robert J. Columbia had a surgery date.
His new kidney would come as the result of an intricate chain of donations and transplants, beginning with his sister donating hers to another in need.
Surgery for the 36-year-old was set for Aug. 23.
But then, there was a glitch: One of the donors became ill and the transplant needed to be postponed.
While the new surgery date of Sept. 17 was only about three weeks away, the delay, for Robert, was a deadly turn of fate.
He didn't make it.
The man who founded an organ donation awareness organization, died on Aug. 31, just hours after entering the hospital.
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