It’s off the class topic, but I just want to introduce something that I’ve recently started getting involved.
Some of you have seen the news article with me (surprisedly), but Iguchi Tadahito (White Sox) visited the UC hospital last Friday. Why? See the following:
“BIG HEART: Tadahito Iguchi has made a $10,000 contribution toward the medical expenses of a 10-year-old Japanese boy awaiting a heart transplant at the University of Chicago Hospitals. Takuya Matsumoto is awaiting the procedure and is listed among the highest-priority patients. Iguchi visited with Matsumoto on Friday.”
(source: http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/332605,CST-SPT-soxnt08.article)
I am sort of tutoring this 12-year-old Takuya kun, and he and his family make me think about so many things. I was also surprised and impressed to learn that the whole process costs 100,000,000 yen (approx. $838,082) and Japanese people started donating money right after the family made a website, did press conference etc., and the family could make enough money within a month to come to the States. (I heard that the UC hospital is especially expensive.)
If interested, please see Takuya’s website (sorry, it’s only in Japanese, but I’ll ask if they plan to make an English version. I’m willing to help): http://web.mac.com/takkunosukuukai/iWeb/takkunosukuukai/58952892-75B0-4C70-BAAC-F757A5A2DBCD.html
I will report more later, but if you want to send a message or something in the meantime, I’ll bring it to him. So, let me know!
Thanks for reading 
Noriko
