Morgan Porterfield is a young woman who will soon be heading out to college and leaving her parents house. She and her siblings have been supported by their, dad Jim, who was laid off last year. In 1981, Jim was injured in a serious car accident on his way to work, when he was struck by a drunk driver, according to a post from Porterfield in Love Matters. His rehabilitation took a long time, and though the railroad worked with him to find a place at the company, he was left with a number of physical and mental disabilities after his recovery, and was often in pain.
Porterfield tweeted photos about her dad that went quickly viral, sharing that he is struggling with his handicaps since he’s been let go from his job. She had noticed he was saving pocket change, and wasn’t sure why. Then he handed his collection over to her with a note:
You can see the pennies, quarters, dimes, and nickels in his big medicine bottle:
And inside was a note with the amount inside, a drawing of a smiling heart, and the words, “Coffee money Love, Dad.”
Everyone is completely overwhelmed by the sweetness of Jim’s gesture to his daughter:
Going out for coffee was a special father/daughter bonding experience for the two, according to Porterfield.
“The bond I have with my dad has grown even stronger over the last few years,” she writes. “Especially as I get closer to leaving for college, I have realized the extent his influence has had on my life.
I started working a part-time job this year, and dad and I have a common love for coffee! There was never a day in my life that I did not see my dad with a cup, or an insulated 7-11 Big Gulp, of coffee in his hand. It might have had something to do with the fact that he woke up by 5am every day so that family/friends/coworkers could pick him up to take him to work.”
She says she had noticed him collecting the change, but when she actually read his message she started sobbing. She wanted to share how wonderful it made her feel to be considered in this way by him when he is struggling with so much, and she’s been completely overwhelmed by that story has touched so many people.
“His positivity, kindness, and giving spirit deserve to be celebrated and I hope his story continues to touch peoples’ hearts and remind them of what is truly important in this crazy thing we call life,” she says.
Porterfield set up a GoFundMe for her dad, because so many people were asking if they could send the pair some coffee money.
According to the GoFundMe, they have managed to secure disability funding for Jim, but that makes him ineligible for Medicaid. Hospital bills are extremely expensive and even decades later, he needs considerable care from his accident. A few other people related to how difficult it can be to manage a family while battling continuous physical hardship:
Porterfield is incredibly thankful for all the support:
Hopefully the family is celebrating with coffee.