Prairie Grove Junior High’s seventh and eighth grade Family and Consumer Science students created NICU blankets in a sewing unit they are calling “Project Hailey.”

The project was developed in honor of Hailey Gertz, who died at 10 months of age after spending her life in the NICU at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

“I remember receiving these special donated blankets and I still have them to this day. For some reason, she was fascinated by the sun. There was a sun on the NICU floor mural, one on her mobile, and she had a pillow with a sun on it. The sun will always remind us of Hailey,” Lindsay Gertz, mother of Hailey and teacher of the Family and Consumer Science program shared with the students.

The blankets, featuring adorable sun patterns on the fabric and even hand-stitched details, will be delivered to Lurie Children’s Hospital in memory of Hailey. The students also personalized cards and messages to attach to each of their blankets. After Hailey’s story was shared the students filled the room with their own stories and they quickly realized what an impact their compassion can have on a family.