Hayley Orlinsky has made so many bracelets, looping colorful rubber bands over thumb and index finger again and again, that she no longer must watch her hands. The spunky 7-year-old from Chicago has spent most of the coronavirus pandemic crafting the creations as a fundraiser to buy personal protective equipment for a children’s hospital. So far, the endeavor has generated nearly $20,000 for Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, prompting praise and purchases from Chicago politicians, a Broadway actor, and her beloved White Sox. It started when she heard news stories about PPE shortages during the Covid-19 pandemic and was inspired to help. For Hayley, the mission is personal; she spent her first days of life at Lurie’s neonatal intensive care unit after experiencing breathing problems. She wanted the doctors, nurses, and medical staff working with kids to “protect themselves.”
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