He captured the hearts of people everywhere. Five-year-old
Ari Schultz appeared in a video (
Ari's Going Home) this past June that gained millions of views worldwide. In it, his Dad tells him that—after being there 189 days for a heart transplant—he was being discharged from the hospital in two days. The joy that this news brought showed on Ari's beaming face as he—wearing a Boston Red Sox jersey and swinging around a baseball bat—trotted around imaginary bases. Ari's parents announced that
he passed away on Friday after an emergency visit to the hospital. His family posted this on their Facebook page:
"Ari passed away peacefully this evening listening to the Red Sox." Our thoughts are with his family—none of us will
ever forget Ari's spirit.
