The miracle of $1.11 – true story! | Motivational Stories
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The miracle of $1.11 – true story!

Tess was a precocious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn’t have the money for the doctor bills and our house. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, “Only a miracle can save him now.”

Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good.

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

“And what do you want?” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,” he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. “He’s really, really sick… and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon?” said the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”

“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little. “Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, “What kind of a miracle does you brother need?”

“I don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”

“How much do you have?” asked the man from Chicago. “One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered barely audibly. “And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.

“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents – the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.” He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specialising in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

“That surgery,” her Mom whispered. “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?”

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost… one dollar and eleven cents … plus the faith of a little child.

Claimed to be a true story
Author Unknown
Submitted by Sumit

{ 46 comments… add one }
  • Carlvis Russell March 19, 2022, 10:37 am

    Wow look @ God work, Matthew 18:3-5

  • keith January 20, 2019, 6:54 pm

    faith in God is what u need to buy a miracle

  • David February 19, 2016, 2:09 am

    Our God is awesome and does great miracles and Loves us so much

  • Waqar Sarwar October 13, 2015, 8:22 am

    really very great and touching story…!

  • vishannie May 16, 2015, 8:36 pm

    very touching..OMG i cud cry….ps. read the story my mom only had 1 eye…even more touching

  • Joseph February 7, 2015, 8:22 am

    A true miracle.

    Very nice story

  • Molley November 8, 2014, 3:59 am

    God’s provide.. Amen

  • Ruth jen eucogco July 26, 2014, 5:31 am

    Faith always makes a difference. If we have faith there is always a change. It is very touching that you can think of renewing your faith all over again.

  • Latha February 7, 2014, 12:01 pm

    My faith in god became strong.

  • Chirag January 31, 2014, 2:54 am

    Every time I’m reading this story, my faith in GOD going super solid.

  • Raghs_HeartBroke December 31, 2013, 6:20 am

    Have faith , miracle will happen itself 🙂

  • Rangarajan V October 7, 2013, 9:01 am

    Touching one. Let us serve others in our own way. “Love all, Serve all”.

  • Deepak Gupta September 2, 2013, 3:46 pm

    Thanks for this great story and this site too.

  • Camilia August 14, 2013, 1:24 pm

    Great story. Very inspiring.

  • Rahul91dev August 6, 2013, 7:16 am

    Really very nice !!!

  • Polycarp July 21, 2013, 9:12 pm

    That’s how God works miracles this piece is so encouraging to me.

  • Steven Foo July 11, 2013, 3:54 am

    Really touching and God performs miracles for all who have faith in Him. Please allow me loan your words. Thank you.

  • Anjumnair July 4, 2013, 4:57 pm

    Oh dear Tess, you just gave me new ray of hope in my life. And yes am sure and I know MIRACLES do happen. It will happen to me soon 🙂

  • Navaneethan.n June 11, 2013, 7:48 am

    God praises for innocent. So nice of you.

  • S.Krishna Kumar May 16, 2013, 4:38 am

    We should believe that faith in God only gives purpose and meaningful to our Life.

    Nothing can happen without His sanction.

  • T.Muan Zou May 10, 2013, 6:34 am

    I love it. Thank you for the inspiring story.

  • Ravi Jogai May 3, 2013, 5:02 am

    Thats faith……

  • Zavier May 3, 2013, 2:59 am

    Tears in my eyes.

  • Nivetha April 20, 2013, 1:33 pm

    Really nice story…

  • Lakshman April 19, 2013, 1:59 am

    Faith makes things happen…

  • Ranjith April 15, 2013, 11:39 am

    The reason why the miracle happened in the first place was because the child believed that a miracle was possible with all her little heart.

    So people reading this story start have faith, faith, faith,……

  • Sara April 13, 2013, 8:36 am

    Very touching

  • Ashfaq April 12, 2013, 7:04 am

    Very touchy, God bless you for sharing such a nice story !

  • Ben April 1, 2013, 12:32 am

    Maracles do happen indeed. All we need is to have faith in our Heavenly Father.

  • Saurabh March 28, 2013, 4:14 am

    That’s what i need too!

  • ThuHuong March 27, 2013, 8:37 pm

    Thanks so much for your touching story. It pulls me out of my disappointment and sadness.

  • Shakunthala March 27, 2013, 6:35 am

    Very nice heart touching story.

  • Sandeep Mahe March 26, 2013, 2:05 am

    This story really makes me learn, never to give up till the end. Even impossible can be possible at times.

  • Saran March 25, 2013, 4:37 am

    Wow….what a miracle!

  • Slye d Poet March 25, 2013, 12:28 am

    This story teaches that you can get whatever you want by using what you have in hand no matter the size, you just need to know all tnings are possible if you believe.

  • Bridgette March 24, 2013, 1:17 am

    Miracle indeed!!….

  • Sudhir March 23, 2013, 11:17 am

    Really touching…….

  • Mariva March 23, 2013, 8:22 am

    Very nice story… 🙂

  • Aayesha.M March 23, 2013, 4:18 am

    Really interesting story. It is just a miracle of God. If God thinks that the person has to live, he will be alive. If God has decided that he should not live whatever he tries he can’t live. God is great He will help in anyways who is in need of help.

  • Noeme D. Catayas March 23, 2013, 2:55 am

    Miracle still happens… we just have to have faith in God.

  • Neha March 23, 2013, 1:02 am

    Simply amazing!!!

  • Farhath March 22, 2013, 11:00 pm

    Heart breaking story. If this happens in our life it will be soooooo gooood.

  • Rozy March 22, 2013, 12:49 pm

    God helps His children in one or another way.

  • Manju March 22, 2013, 8:11 am

    Really touching and God performs miracles for all who have faith in Him

  • Nainam March 22, 2013, 7:59 am

    Really touching story. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

  • Genevieve March 22, 2013, 7:28 am

    Very touching story..faith faith faith…

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