A Mother’s Final Wish: How One Best Friend Became a Lifeline for Six Children

When Beth Laitkep was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer during her sixth pregnancy, her greatest fear wasn’t death—it was what would happen to her six children. Abandoned by their father, Beth turned to her lifelong friend, Stephanie Culley, with a heart-wrenching request: “Will you take my kids if I don’t make it?”

Stephanie, without hesitation, said yes.

As Beth’s condition worsened, her children—ranging from age 1 to 15—moved into Stephanie’s Virginia home, already shared with her husband and three kids. After Beth passed in May 2016, Stephanie and Donnie adopted all six children, officially becoming a family of 11.

“We became a family before Beth passed,” Stephanie shared. “We love them like our own.”

She also kept Beth’s touching promise: her daughters would always wear hair bows.

Today, the Culley home is filled with love, support, and healing. Beth’s final wish—to see her children loved and raised in a secure home—was beautifully fulfilled. Her legacy lives on through the resilience of a friendship that turned into a forever family.