By the Grace... She Wiggled Her Toe

Some moments change a life. For Anna Hutto Hill and her family in Lawrence County, it was a single toe wiggle—a tiny movement that shattered despair and cracked open the door to a miracle.

Anna’s sister had been placed on life support after a critical medical emergency. Her condition was dire. For months, the machines kept her alive while the family held their breath, not knowing what each day would bring. Doctors began to gently prepare them for the worst. The outlook was bleak. And while medicine had seemingly done all it could, the family turned their hearts to prayer.

Anna remembers those days as some of the darkest she’s ever known. The very foundation of her life felt like it was beginning to crumble. But more than just fearing for her sister, she feared for her mother, too. She knew if they lost her sister, they’d also lose her mama—the grief would be too heavy to carry.

Her father became a rock of steady presence during that time. He stayed at the hospital around the clock, through every surgery—including the replacement of a heart valve. He talked to his daughter like she could hear him. He played music for her constantly, believing it might somehow keep her connected to the world and stimulate her brain. He refused to give up on her.

Then came a moment no one could’ve scripted.

Anna went to visit her sister, standing in the quiet hospital room with her dad. As he often did, he gently tried to spark a response: “Your baby sister’s here—don’t you wanna say hi to Anna?” And just like that—her sister’s toe moved. It wasn’t a reflex. It wasn’t imagined. It was real.

Her dad called the nurse, and when prompted again, her sister moved her toe a second time. The nurse saw it and responded with confidence: that movement meant everything. It was a sign she was still fighting. It was the thread of hope they had been praying for.

In the days that followed, the miracle unfolded. Her sister slowly began to wake up. Her personality started coming back. The impossible started to seem possible. That hospital room, once filled with dread, became a place of thanksgiving.

Looking back, Anna says she can barely remember certain moments during that stretch of time. Trauma has a way of blurring the edges. But she remembers the fear. She remembers the helplessness. And she remembers that toe wiggle—the moment everything changed.

This wasn’t her first battle with the storm. She had faced hard things before and refused to let darkness win. Through it all, she knew one thing: the devil couldn’t take what belonged to them. She had witnessed God move. And now she had lived through a miracle.

Today, her sister is alive and well—something Anna and her family will never take for granted. The experience reshaped their faith, tested their strength, and reminded them that even in the darkest valleys, there’s still room for a miracle. For Anna, that single toe wiggle wasn’t just a sign of life—it was a promise that hope still had a place in the room.

👉 Do you know someone with a story of faith, healing, or an undeniable miracle? We’d love to hear it. Message us to share it for a future edition of “By The Grace…” — a series that shines a light on the incredible things happening right here at home.