Mercy nurses — Image: Twitter/@FollowMercy

A group of nurses from Mercy Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, which won $10,000 in the Mega Millions lottery, has given away its winnings to those who needed it most.

The group of nurses, all 126 of them, was just one number off from the jackpot prize of $1.6 billion, the biggest jackpot draw the lottery has seen in history. The nurses, however, only received $7,000 after taxes and had $56 for each if split among them, as per KMOV4 last Nov. 14.

Instead of pocketing the $56, the nurses decided to just give the winnings away to two colleagues who would benefit more. The nurses, after all, have considered each other as their own family.

“The majority said, ‘Let’s give it to our co-workers, our family, the ones that are in biggest need,” Stephanie Brinkman, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse, was quoted as saying. “So that’s what we decided to do.”

The money was given to nurse Gretchen Post and neonatalogist Casey Orellana via checks. As per the report, Post’s 17-year-old son Jack died by suicide last October, whereas Orellana’s husband, Phil, was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer this year.

“Since July, I have not been able to work,” Phil said in the report. “I have been getting various other treatments for wound care and at the same time, I had also found out the cancer had spread to my lungs.”

The other half would be used for Jack’s funeral. Jack, the youngest of Post’s three kids, died on the night of the Mega Millions drawing.

“It’s actually going to pay for Jack’s funeral which I’m very grateful for,” shared Post.

The gesture and the intent behind it are what counts, after all. As per Brinkman, they may not have won the jackpot prize of $1.6 billion, but they hoped the $7,000 would still help Post and Orellana in some way.

“I know it’s not the 1.6 billion dollars but here is what we have to offer you,” Brinkman said in the report “Hopefully, it’ll help.” Cody Cepeda /ra

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