Family planning is finished for Laura and Rico Ruffino. They are the happy parents of two daughters and lead a full life. This is the case for her friend Elizabeth Diamond too, a single mother of 4 little girls, a motivational trainer who makes her living by writing books. Laura and Elizabeth are childhood friends and have been friends since 5th grade.
Both women have wonderful lives. Until in the summer of 2014 as Elizabeth’s luck bursts like a soap bubble.
A brain tumor in its final stage - so is the ghastly diagnosis for the 40-year-old mother of four. She fights like a brave lion and does everything to defeat the cancer. But she has the overwhelming fear about what will happen to her daughters if she doesn’t make it. Will they have good lives? Will Lily, Ella, Samona, and Tara remain together? Will they remain one family?
Elizabeth feels the end is near and confides in her childhood friend Laura about her plaguing fear: “If something happens to me I want you to adopt my girls.” Without hesitating her friend responds with a simple “OK.”
Most people would have denied this dying mother’s wish. And few people would have actually kept this astounding promise! Elizabeth passes away in April. If she knew what her best friend then did, she would have surely been moved to tears.
For her four girls become part of Laura and Rico Ruffino’s family. Both of the now parents-of-six do everything to make the new girls feel welcome, and to make them as happy as possible under the circumstances. They undertake many things as a single family. The want to help the girls to deal with the horrific experience, to look ahead together.
This emotional support is worth more than any gold. But the enrichment of a family by 4 new members is a financial challenge. So Rico comes across the idea to publish the story of the fated patchwork family in the internet to collect money. For food, clothing, dancing lessons, and to add two bedrooms to their house.
To date they have collected $97,000! What an unbelievable relief it must be for this great family, that they can completely focus on the healing of these little souls. The two Ruffino sisters have already cleaned out their rooms and moved in together into another room. So that their four new sisters can remain close to each other.
Such a selfless family is something you don’t find every day. Being there for a desperate friend, even over death and beyond, is an honorable deed. 8 pairs of beaming, happy children’s eyes will be her reward one day.
If you were also so moved by the sad, but beautiful story of this patchwork family then pleaseSHARE it with everyone you know as a wonderful example of humanity.