West Palm Beach residents Don and Sally Chester established the Pollyanna Nursing Scholarship at Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) in 2017. The scholarship is named after Don’s first service dog, Pollyanna, a beloved white Labrador Retriever who was trained to assist Don through many of his daily needs. Today the endowment has reached the $1 million threshold, creating life-changing opportunities for the next generation of health care professionals. Choosing to invest in the PBA School of Nursing was an intentional decision from the couple who have called the region home for over 50 years.
“This is our community and since moving here, we’ve never desired to leave it. So why not invest in nurses who could be caring for us one day?” said Sally. “The mission of PBA is also important to us: To equip students to grow in wisdom, lead with conviction, and serve God boldly.”
Nurses with a sense of calling in their work and compassion for their patients became a real need for Don. In 2004 on Christmas Eve, Don, an avid triathlete, was hit by a car while out running, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. He was transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he just so happened to also work as an assistant administrator.
“I spent 6-7 weeks in ICU and 100 days in an in-patient rehabilitation, and it was nurses who were by my side 24 hours a day,” Don recalled. “They are smart and caring. They went out of their way to help me. They are incredible. I still go and visit with the ICU nurses at St. Mary’s.”
As an experienced nurse herself, Sally says watching the dedication of the medical team who cared for Don around the clock made her proud to be one of them. She has long believed nurses stand in a sacred space.
“As a registered nurse I have had the immense privilege of walking alongside patients in their greatest and hardest moments,” she shared. “I have been there when a life-altering diagnosis is shared. I have been with them as they were leaving this earth. I held the hand of family members as they said their final goodbyes. I have also been there on joyous occasions like the birth of babies, and when a treatment has been successful.”
As the son of a cardiologist and a mother who was a nurse, it was no surprise that Don followed in his parents’ footsteps into the medical field. His parents also led by example with their own involvement in the community.
“They believed in giving back and not for show. Mom was an early supporter and volunteer with the organization that became the United Way,” Don recalled. As children of the Depression, they encouraged him to study hard, get a good job, and save money—Advice Don adhered to, getting his first summer job at just 8 years old and first paper route at 12.
“They showed me if you work hard, you’ll be in a better position to help others in need,” he said.
Through deliberate and faithful giving over the last few years, the Chesters are thrilled to have reached this milestone in the Pollyanna Nursing Scholarship. As she reflected on this achievement, Sally said, “We see educating quality nurses who will serve in this community as our legacy.”
To find out how investing in the future of nursing can be part of your own giving legacy, click here: https://www.pba.edu/give/opportunities/pollyanna-nursing-scholarship/.
*You can hear more about the Chesters story when they are celebrated at a special PBA Chapel on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 11 a.m. Please join us.
