Mother-of-two makes her terminally ill best friend's last wish come true by adopting her three young children

  • Sara, 36, is in final stages of ALS and is not expected to make it to Christmas
  • She did not want her three kids - Cayden, 11, Micah, 9 and Amara, 8 - to be split up into different homes after she passes away
  • Her best friend and mother-of-two, Melissa Armstrong, is legally adopting them
  • Armstrong's friends are lending a helping hand and seeking donations for Christmas gifts and money so that she can buy a larger home for the family 

By Regina F. Graham For Dailymail.com

Published: 20:27 EST, 14 December 2016 | Updated: 23:29 EST, 14 December 2016

An Illinois woman has made a life changing decision by making her dying best friend's last wish come true and adopting her three young children..

Sara, 36, is in the final stages of ALS in hospice care and is not expected to make it to Christmas. 

'She said she can deal with the fact that she's dying, but she can't deal with the fact that her kids will be split,' her best friend, Missy Armstrong told WQAD. 

The two women have been inseparable for over a decade after first meeting in 1999 while attending cosmetology school. 

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Missy Armstrong (left) has made a life changing decision by making Sara (right), her dying best friend's last wish come true

Sara (left), 36, is in the final stages of ALS in hospice care and is not expected to make it to Christmas. Armstrong has decided to adopt Sara's three children (pictured together right), 11-year-old Cayden, 9-year-old Micah and eight-year-old Amara

'(We) automatically became best friends,' Armstrong said.

Taking their friendship a step further, Armstrong, 42, is in the process of legally adopting Sara's three young children, 11-year-old Cayden, 9-year-old Micah and eight-year-old Amara.

'She would do it for me,' Armstrong, who is already a mother to two of her own children, said. 

When she told Sara that she was going to take care of her kids, Armstrong said, 'She just balled and was like are you kidding me and she said 'you swear' and I said 'yeah'.'

As Armstrong prepares to take on the huge task, one of her longtime friends, Rhonda DeBruyn, is lending a helping hand.

Armstrong (above), who is already a mother to two of her own children, said: 'She would do it for me' 

As Armstrong prepares to take on the huge task, one of her friends, Rhonda DeBruyn, is lending a helping hand by asking for Christmas gifts to be donated for the children (above)

DeBruyn posted a status on Facebook asking for gifts to be donated so the growing family can have a great holiday.

'My main focus was to make sure that the kids had a good Christmas because I wasn't sure that Sara was going to be here,' DeBruyn said. 

Since posting the status, donations have been pouring in for the family.

'I know there`s good people out there, but to see it happen for me is just kind of overwhelming,' Armstrong shared.

'They deserve it, they really do, it`s been a rough road.' 

'Missy is an amazing friend and person,' DeBruyn told DailyMail.com. 'I've known her 11 years and she has never been anything less than what you see. 

'This doesn't surprise me one bit that she stepped in. Her and Sara's friendship is one of a kind.' 

Armstrong currently lives in a three bedroom home, which is not large enough for the growing family. 

'Missy is needing a ton of support...we have a deadline for the 5 bedroom house she plans to purchase by Dec 26th and have a goal to reach for the down payment which is due that day,' DeBruyn said in a Facebook post. 

'Her current 3 bedroom will not be enough room for her growing family. We are not even a 1/3 of the way to our goal. 

'Once we get her into her new house, then everything left over that we raised will go to future financial expenses...Every little bit helps.' 

To donate, an account has been created at the Southeast National Bank under the name of Melissa Armstrong. 

In addition, a benefit will be held on January 7th at Gunchies in Davenport, Iowa to help for the family's financial expenses.

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