The Ouzaki family from Mashiki - Mom Kiyomi-san, Dad Yoshitaka-san, and seven children ranging from 1 to 13 years of age - welcomed an eighth on April 22nd. The whole clan first evacuated from their apartment to a supermarket parking lot after the 4/14 quake, where the kids found places to stay so as to allow space for Kiyomi-san, who was due on 4/27, to recline in the car. After the quake on 4/16, they continued living in their car at Undou Kouen until the 22nd, when they moved to a kindergarten in Mashiki which was accepting evacuees. That very afternoon, Kiyomi-san noticed contractions beginning, and complications led to her being transferred from a Mashiki hospital to the Red Cross Hospital, where she gave birth to a healthy, 2,900 gram girl.
I would have hoped that they would have been named, in order, Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack. (Apologies to those who do not understand the reference.)
Better, their newest daughter has been named 未来 (Mirai) - “Future,” at the suggestion of Yoshitaka-san’s mother, who was quoted as saying, “Despite the disaster, we must proceed step by step to realize a bright future.”
From May 5th, the family has moved into a temporary apartment in Higashi-Ku, and Yoshitaka-san has been busy ferrying belongings from their destroyed Mashiki residence. Today, Mother’s Day, Kiyomi-san’s children presented her with messages praising her reliability and gentleness.
I will try to contact the family to arrange for donations. Man, I’m all teared up just from writing this.
- William