Toy giant Hasbro said on Thursday that it will help cover the medical costs for the creator of its popular game Operation, who needs a $25,000 operation of his own and can’t afford it.

John Spinello created Operation in the early 1960s and sold the rights to it for $500. Hasbro plans to buy Spinello’s prototype of Operation for an undisclosed amount to help defray his medical expenses.

Toy designers Tim Walsh and Peggy Brown have been collecting donations for their 77-year-old friend through their ILoveOperation website and a crowdfunding campaign on Crowdrise. To aid the fundraising, Spinello offered to sell his Operation prototype.

The campaign met its $25,000 goal on Wednesday and caught the attention of Hasbro along the way.

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