The big family with a bigger heart

Ten-year-old True Beethe spent his 10th birthday this week doing what every kid hopes on their big day: celebrating with friends, family, and plenty of cake.

But a few years ago, his life looked very different.

Let's set the scene

Back in 2022, when True was five, he needed a major heart procedure for a serious condition called hypoplastic right heart syndrome. At the time, he was living in a foster home under the care of social services. On the day of his surgery, the five-year-old arrived at Children's Nebraska without a parent or guardian.

That’s where anesthesiologist Amy Beethe first met him.

She found True sitting alone in pre-op, waiting for a seven-hour surgery with no adult by his side. While his case worker had Covid that day, it wasn’t clear why no one else was there to stay with him.

True’s guardian angel…Dr. Beethe stayed with him through the lengthy procedure. During those hours, she couldn’t shake the thought of a kid facing something so serious without a stable home waiting for him afterward.

So when the surgery ended, she called her husband Ryan and told him they needed to talk. The Beethes already had six children, so adding another wasn’t exactly a small decision. 

• Ryan was hesitant at first, but after hearing True’s story and meeting the brave little guy in person, the couple decided it was the right thing to do. 
• The adoption was finalized ~18 months later, with True officially becoming part of the Beethe family.

But that’s not the end of the story. Before joining the Beethes, True had been living in an unstable environment with five siblings. Amy knew she and Ryan couldn’t adopt them all, so she started calling people she trusted in the hope of keeping the siblings close to each other. 

Amy's sister and brother-in-law adopted one sibling. Ryan's sister and her husband adopted another. A co-worker and her husband welcomed two more into their home. That left one child still needing a family.

• So Amy went back to Ryan one more time. Soon after, True’s sister Laney also joined the Beethe household.
• Now the Beethe home is full of laughter, love, and the chaos that comes with having eight kids.

Doctors say True’s condition is still serious, and he'll likely need a heart transplant someday. And for kids with complex heart disease, something as simple as a stable, happy home can make all the difference in recovery.

Amy and Ryan are dedicated to standing by True every step of the way. “He’s truly become my son,” Amy said. “You know, I would battle for him like anybody else. You’re a mama bear, and you fight hard."