Their mother is dead. Their father is charged with second-degree murder. But the community is pulling together to help the six children left behind by the killing of Merritt’s Pamela Jarvis. And one of the ways they’re doing that is with red paper hearts. Hundreds of hearts, inscribed with messages of love and encouragement, are taped to the windows and walls of a Merritt restaurant. “I never thought I’d be put in this kind of situation and be shown this much love and support,” said Jilliann Jarvis, 19, Pamela Jarvis’ eldest daughter. “We’ve had staff and guests that have actually had tears because of how visually overwhelming it is. It’s really beautiful to walk in and see (the hearts),” said Leanne Dixon, a family friend who is also organizing the heart fundraiser at her Merritt Boston Pizza restaurant. She wanted to help Jarvis’ children after their mom was found critically injured in her home Dec. 16, then died in hospital. The deceased’s husband, Christopher Jarvis, is accused of second-degree murder. The allegations against him have not been proven in court. Meanwhile, the couple’s children, aged between the early teens and mid-20s, are working through the grief of their mom’s death. “I‘m doing OK. I’m doing the very best that I can. It’s really hard,” Jilliann Jarvis said, adding that her siblings are also doing their best, but each is struggling in their own way. She said she shared a special bond with her mom. “She was just more than a mom. She was, to me personally, she was my best friend,” said the emotional daughter. But she also said that seeing all the support from both friends and strangers alike, makes her feel loved. “The only word that I can really describe it is overwhelming,” she said. “I love looking at how much people not only care for mom, but care for us and how we’re doing.” Earlier this month, Merritt’s Mark Nendick did a grueling 24-hour run in the cold to show support and raise funds for the Jarvis children. There’s also been an online fundraiser, and the pub where she used to work, Grand Pub & Grill, has a dinner fundraiser on Feb. 24. The paper hearts campaign at Merritt’s Boston Pizza wraps up Feb. 14, when the Jarvis children will be invited for dinner and to read the messages left for them. “There’s some genuine heart-felt messages,” Dixon said. “People are struggling in how to fix that hurt and that’s why they’re doing it—to try and fix the hurt that the children are feeling.” Dixon said just coming into work and putting more hearts on the wall lets her feel “that Pam’s not forgotten, that the kids are still thought about, that we’re still helping carry them.”
