A Virginia mother of three has made good on a high school friend's dying wish by adopting her six children.

Stephanie Culley tells ABCNews that Beth Laitkep asked Culley to take care of her children if she didn't make it through a battle with breast cancer. Culley agreed after discussing it with her family. Culley says Laitkep's children told their mother they wanted to become part of Culley's family if need be.

When Laitkep was told in April that her cancer had spread, temporary custody papers were drawn up. Laitkep died on May 19, and Culley and her husband gained full custody of Laitkep's children Tuesday.

Culley says the arrangement scared her at first, but now says "it's so much better than anything I had in my head."

"We started dancing as soon as the judge made his ruling," Stephanie Culley of Alton, Virginia, told ABC News. "It was like winning the Super Bowl for us. It was an amazing day yesterday."

Culley's friend Beth Laitkep died from breast cancer on 19 May at the age of 39.

"She was a devoted mother, that was her thing," Culley said of her friend. "Her kids were her life and she loved them more than anything. She was a humble and very sweet girl."

Prior to her death, Beth requested a final wish from Culley, whom she'd grown extremely close to. The favor was one that would change the Culley family forever.

"She said, 'I know you will do this for me, but can you raise nine kids? Can you take my babies, all of them and keep them together?'" Culley recalled. "I said, 'I don't know. I have to pray about this, I have to talk to my husband about this. We discussed it as a family and my kids were the first to say yes. They had gotten really close with [Beth's] kids. My husband was like a deer in headlights, but he knew that this was what we had to do."

"Beth explained to her kids that it was very possible that we weren't going to get a miracle and she might not make it," Culley added. "If that happened, she asked them what they wanted and so, that sealed the deal."

On April 13, the day Beth was informed that her cancer had spread, Culley said the two women had temporary custody papers drawn up before an official hearing was scheduled.

On July 19, Culley and her husband Donnie gained full custody of Beth's six children, Will, 15, Selena, 14, Jaxson, 12, Dallas, 10, Lily, 5, and Ace, 2. Along with the couple's three children, Cole, 10, Hayden, 6 and Calen, 2, they now have nine all together.