She Was Pregnant with Her Sixth Child When Cancer Struck — The Person She Trusted Left, But a True Friend Stepped In and Changed Everything
When Beth Laitkep was told she had breast cancer, she was expecting her sixth child. Already battling fear and uncertainty, her world crumbled further when someone close to her walked away — leaving her to face her final days alone… or so it seemed.
But amid the heartbreak, one friend proved that true love doesn’t walk away — it steps up.
Beth’s Final Wish
Beth, just 39, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 while pregnant with her youngest son, Ace. Doctors performed an emergency C-section so she could begin chemotherapy. As her condition worsened, her children’s father abandoned the family, leaving Beth to rely on her longtime friend, Stephanie Culley.
Stephanie and Beth had met as teens while working at Walmart. Years later, they reconnected just as Beth’s cancer returned — this time, more aggressive and widespread.
As the illness progressed, Beth’s greatest fear wasn’t dying — it was leaving her children behind without love or security. Her heartbreaking request to Stephanie was simple: “Please love my kids like your own.”
Without hesitation, Stephanie and her husband Donnie took in all six children — Will (15), Selena (14), Jaxson (11), Dallas (10), Lily (5), and baby Ace — welcoming them into their home in Alton, Virginia, alongside their own three kids.
A Promise Kept
Even before Beth passed, the families had already blended into one. “We became a family while Beth was still alive,” Stephanie said. “It only felt right to take her kids in — we love them just like ours.”
Beth had just one special request: that her daughters always wear bows in their hair. And to this day, Stephanie makes sure that promise is fulfilled. “Every day, I put a bow in their hair. That’s for Beth,” she said.
Beth passed away on May 19, 2016. But her love lives on in the Culley household — now a joyful, resilient family of 11.
From Tragedy to a New Beginning
Stephanie and Donnie didn’t just step in temporarily. They began the legal adoption process and, by July, a judge granted them full custody. Beth’s children officially became part of the Culley family — something they already felt deep in their hearts.
“We cry together, we laugh together, and we heal together,” Stephanie shared. “We didn’t just gain kids — we gained strength, purpose, and love.”
Looking back, Stephanie believes their connection was more than coincidence. “There was something greater at work. Beth found peace knowing her babies would be safe. And we found a new sense of purpose — to love them fully, just like she asked.”