Jefferson Park girl, 7, sells bracelets to support Lurie Children's Hospital

Thursday, April 9, 2020
CHICAGO (WLS) -- COVID-19 is creating new challenges for the U.S. healthcare system, but one Jefferson Park 7-year-old is doing her part to help a hospital that helped her in the first days of her young life.

Most kids, if they can earn a few bucks, can't wait to spend it on kid stuff. Not Hayley Orlinsky: She's using her creative talent to make money - then donating it to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital.

"I had an idea in the middle of the night, I can make bracelets and then when people buy the bracelets, they give me the money and then I could give the hospitals the money," Hayley said.

Hayley recorded a video, posted it to Facebook and got out her supplies as orders started coming in.

"They tell me the color they want and if they want a charm or not and I make the bracelets," she said.

Lurie Children's Hospital holds a special place in Hayley's family's heart.

"I was born there and I was also in the NICU there," she said.

"When she was born, she had trouble breathing," mom Lori explained. "She spent a lot of days and nights at Lurie, so this is her way of giving back to the place that helped her."

In just over a week, Hayley has already raised more than $4,000 from more than 50 bracelets.

"My original goal was 200," she said.

Lori projects Hayley will go well beyond her goal.

"Not only people that we see on a daily basis and talk to, people that I went to high school with, friends of my family, people that we don't even know have reached out and said that 'We heard that Hayley's doing this, we want to donate,'" she said.

Hayley said the reaction has made her feel "happy and amazing."

Now the whole family is involved: Hayley's 4-year-old sister Ellie sorts the colors while dad gets them ready for shipping.

Hayley hopes to inspire other kids to use their talents to help, too.

"So, whatever they like to do like let's say they like to draw, or they like to paint, they should sell them and they could give the money to hospitals," she said.

Visit the hospital's website to buy a bracelet from Hayley.
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