Caring Hearts Unite (CHU), a not-for-profit organization, was created in October to provide financial assistance to families in Glenview who have financial need due to a family member’s medical condition.

Choral Director Stevi Marks said that she initially thought of the idea to start CHU after hearing about Debby Shellard’s diagnosis of severe aplastic anemia in September. Debby, a teacher at Attea Middle School, is the wife of Dr. James Shellard, assistant principal in charge of student activities.

“Everybody [in the community] wanted to do something,” Marks said. “I was so dismayed when I heard the diagnosis and I was out for a jog in the morning…I was thinking, ‘Give me a sign [of how I can help], I have to do something.’[…]I was wearing the Livestrong bracelet[…]and I kept seeing the bracelet and I [thought], ‘we should do a bracelet.’”

After thinking of this idea, Marks brought together a group of people from the community to brainstorm how to start the organization. Along with deciding to incorporate the organization to raise funds for members of the community facing medical expenses, the group thought of what to call CHU.

“We tried to think of what to say on the wristband and at first I wanted it to be Heart of a Titan, but[…]we wanted it to be a community-wide approach,” Marks said. “[The Shellards are] so generous, they’re so caring, they have such kind hearts, and that’s how it sort of became [CHU].”

According to Marks, although the organization, which has already sold between 3,200 and 3,500 bracelets, stemmed from Debby’s diagnosis, the long-term mission is to help the entire community.

“There is no organization that helps people in this particular situation, so there is a need in the community,” Marks said. “I think the biggest thing we feel very gratified about is good comes out of adversity here[…]Out of the potential need of someone that the whole community holds near and dear[…]we are going to be able to help others. That is why the Shellards allowed us to go ahead with the wristbands.”

When the concept of CHU was first presented to Dr. Shellard, he was hesitant.

“At first I was uncomfortable about it because my job in the building is to raise funds[…]that help other people, so I guess it was uncomfortable because part of this program would be helping my family,” Dr. Shellard said. “But [Marks and Principal Dr. Brian Wegley] encouraged me to[…]help set this foundation up[…]with the idea that if we didn’t need any money, then the funds would go towards other families.”

Dr. Shellard also said he has appreciated the community’s efforts to help his wife.

“My family [has] been very touched by the fact that so many people would want to wear the bracelets in support of my wife’s wellness,” Dr. Shellard said. “For example[…]for my wife to be able to see the video of the choral concert and to see all the Premier choir had those bracelets on, it meant a lot to us to say, ‘Well, there’s a lot of people supporting your efforts to become well.’”

According to Marks, about 150 students in Masters, Bel Canto, Cure Club and some student officers are selling the bracelets, which cost $3 for students and $5 for adults. Declan Garvey, student body president, is participating in selling the bracelets.

“I work very closely with Dr. Shellard, and so I just feel like he’s done so much for this school that[…]it’s very important for us to kind of come together and help him out,” Garvey said.

Along with providing financial assistance to families, another goal of CHU is to set up an in-house scholarship for students who have a family member with a serious medical condition. The board of directors of the organization, which has six adults and one student representative, is currently working on creating an application process for families to apply to receive the funds.

According to Dr. Shellard, he hopes the wristbands will remind students to care for each other, which is what the red-colored part of the bracelet represents.

“That’s always been a message that I’ve always wanted every student here who graduates just to [remember to say], ‘Well, it’s our responsibility to look out for each other; it’s just what we do,’” Shellard said.