A terminally ill mother from Utah has raised over $1 million on GoFundMe for her own funeral and the future of her two kids. Erika Diarte-Carr, a 30-year-old single mother, had been “silently battling a rare terminal cancer” until now, when she finally decided to open up through a fundraiser. Over 35,000 donors have come to support and raise a hefty sum for her children.
Utah mother raises money for funeral service and kids’ trust fund
Erika Diarte-Carr, a single Utah mother-of-two, is terminally ill with only three months to live, according to her GoFundMe description. She revealed that she first learned about her stage 4 terminal cancer on May 7, 2022, after going for a normal shoulder injury checkup. Carr has since “been silently battling a rare terminal cancer. Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), a high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma.”
The terminally ill mother recalled on her GoFundMe fundraiser page that the doctor told her about “multiple tumors.” As per Carr, “these tumors had metastasized to other parts of my body including my skeletal, which is how we were able to find the tumor that was causing my shoulder pain.”
Carr added that it was just the beginning of their worries. Earlier this year in January, nearly two years after her initial diagnosis, medical experts diagnosed her “with Cushing Syndrome.” The terminally ill Utah mom mentioned, “this caused me so many other underlying issues such as rapid weight gain & swelling (60+ lbs in a matter of weeks), muscle and bone deterioration.” Additional factors included “high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, Moon Face & so much more! This disease has already taken so much away from me and my family!”
Erika Diarte-Carr, a single mother to two children, stated she managed to work after finding out she was terminally ill. Unfortunately, she is no longer able to physically work, putting a major financial burden on her. Carr claimed she kept her diagnosis a secret for as long as she could. She is now opening up to ask friends, family, loved ones, and even strangers for help. “All is accepted and very much appreciated,” she wrote.
Carr announced, “Due to my prognosis, I have decided to discontinue treatments as they will no longer help.” The Utah mom has only 3 months to live. So, she hopes to spend with her kids and loved ones and “make the best of it.” Carr also wants to ensure her kids have enough after her passing. On top of that, “the most difficult thing” according to her will be “planning my own funeral.” The mother-of-two spoke of her need to raise $5,000 for her funeral and something more to leave behind for her kids.
The terminally ill 30-year-old mother has since raised $1,076,273 out of her $5,000 target GoFundMe fundraiser. Lastly, Erika Diarte-Carr expressed gratitude and appreciation for those who made generous donations and others who shared her story.
