Nurses at two Philadelphia suburban hospitals have been recognized for their work. Not with a plaque or banner, but an anonymous donor is stepping up to help them with their student loans. 

For nurses at Paoli Hospital, it all began with an email that arrived this week.

"I was instantly in shock and I said, 'Is this real?'" Tangi Raysor, a nurse at Paoli, said.

Raysor was working a 12-hour shift when she learned about something that would make her life a little easier. 

"We must have stood out in some way to them and hopefully changed their life or their family member's life," Raysor said. "That means a lot."

An anonymous donor reached out to Paoli Hospital several weeks ago and spoke with their development director.

"She said, 'Bernadette, we have a donor that wants to donate $1 million for our debt relief for nurses,'" Bernadette Weis, the vice president of patient services at the hospital, said. "My jaw dropped."

Zachary Kish, a nurse at Paoli since 2021, said word of the student loan assistance left him floored.

"It was wonderful. It felt like it was a blessing," Kish said. "That someone could be so generous to help people who really want to help the community, it's great."

The donation follows another $1 million gift made to Lankenau Medical Center earlier this summer. Main Line Health, the hospital's owner, says the money is helping nurses pay down and, in some instances, pay off their student loans.

"The donor stated, 'Why can't I do this for Paoli Hospital? That's my hospital and I want to donate,'" Weis said. 

Hospital administrators and nurses say people have no idea how incredible this gesture has been, calling it an "ultimate pay-it-forward."

"Hopefully it will lower down my payments," Raysor said.  "I have little kids at home, and we are a one-income family at the moment, so it is a huge help for me. I wish I could thank the person, in person, but I understand being anonymous, but want them to know we appreciate being recognized."

A generous act of kindness that inspired a second act of kindness.

"I was so moved," Weis said. "I wanted to hug them right away."

 It left some hardworking front-line workers nearly speechless. 

"Having someone recognize in the community a job that's really difficult and you chose to do that," Kish said about the donor. "'I have these resources, let me take some of that weight off your shoulders.' That's a beautiful thing."