A seven-year-old schoolgirl has raised $22,000 for Covid protective gear at a children’s hospital by making and selling bracelets at home. Hayley Orlinsky, from Chicago, Illinois, has provided thousands of pieces of coronavirus personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers by learning how to make colorful rubber band bracelets during lockdown.

The second-grade student said her inspiration for the charitable venture comes from her experience of being bullied in school when she was younger. This made her realize the importance of ‘spreading kindness’ and looking out for others.

Since March Hayley has made an incredible 10,000 bracelets – with a little help from some friends – and in doing so has helped to provide protective clothing for doctors and nurses on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk Hayley said: ‘I was bullied when I was little because I was the shortest kid in my class and that’s when I realized I wanted to spread kindness.

‘I started in March when I overheard on the news that doctors and nurses were running out of masks and other PPE, and I thought I could sell my bracelets and donate the money to a local hospital.

‘I saw the doctors and nurses needed help, and I was home making bracelets, so I figured I could use my talents and help them. The doctors and nurses were working so hard to take care of us, and I wanted to take care of them.’

What started out as a lockdown hobby for Hayley, back at the start of the pandemic in March, has turned into a huge community effort involving her schoolfriends and even her 73-year-old grandmother.

She has taught each of her helpers how to make the colorful rubber bands over FaceTime, before they are sold online for between $3 and $5.

It takes around two minutes for Hayley to make each bracelet and she’s able to make them in 50 different colour combinations.

All proceeds from the sale of the bracelets go towards the Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago – the same hospital where Hayley was born.

Hayley’s mom, Lori, an author, added: ‘Hayley is an amazing child with a huge heart. Because she was bullied at a young age, she’s always the first one to ask ‘how can I help?’.

‘I wasn’t surprised at all when she came up with this idea, it speaks to the kind of child she is.

‘We were all shocked at how quickly this spread, but in a very dark time filled, Hayley unified people and her bracelets symbolize better days ahead.’

Hayley, who has a little sister, Ellie, aged five, said she plans to continue making bracelets until the pandemic is over.

‘This kind of fundraising effort allows the hospital to use the money for a variety of different things. It was definitely needed at a time when we really needed to respond rapidly to Covid-19’, said Tracey McCusker, an associate director for the Lurie Children’s Hospital foundation.

She added: ‘Her support is helping, of course, inside of our hospital, but I would certainly (say) in our greater community as well.’

Hayley’s bracelets are available for national and international shipping and her fundraising page is available to view here.

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