This Woman Adopted Her Best Friend's 4 Daughters After Their Mom Died of Cancer

When Laura Ruffino made a promise to her lifelong friend Elizabeth Diamond, she never imagined she would have to see it through. The two have been friends since fifth grade, and when Elizabeth asked Laura to take her four daughters if anything ever happened to her, Laura didn't question it. "I instantly said 'OK,'" Laura told WKBW News.

It was something Elizabeth felt compelled to discuss in August of 2014 when she was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer at the age of 40. Then, the unthinkable happened — Elizabeth lost her battle with cancer in April this year, and Laura and her husband Rico immediately took in Elizabeth's children, doubling the size of their own family.

"Something gets thrown at you, and you accept the challenge and do the best you can," said Rico. Understandably, the family is adjusting emotionally and financially to this new phase in their lives.

You can find the Ruffino-Diamond family's fundraising page here, where all donations "will be spent on helping this family be able to do what they love: live, laugh, love, and of course pay-it-forward!"