Erika Diarte-Carr from Utah has lived a quiet life for most of her 33 years. But as she nears the end of her life due to terminal cancer, she has become known to thousands of strangers. She started a GoFundMe campaign to raise $5,000 for her funeral, but it quickly turned into something much bigger. By Wednesday, the campaign had raised over $1.1 million with more than 37,000 donations.
“It happened overnight. I never expected that,” Erika said, according to KTVX-TV.
“I never expected a big funeral or so many people to help me. With how everything has gone, I’m just in shock and so grateful for all the support,” she added.
A mother’s strength in the face of unimaginable adversity Erika Diarte-Carr, a 30-year-old Utah mom, is battling terminal cancer, but her focus is on her children’s future.
Read more: https://t.co/tp4F9pksC6#ErikasFight #CancerAwareness #CommunitySupport #InspiringStory pic.twitter.com/QatBes6eoB
— CIO Women Magazine (@ciowomenmag) September 30, 2024
Erika Diarte-Carr’s struggles began two years ago when she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer. She thought she had a shoulder injury, but after going to the emergency room, she learned she had stage 4 terminal cancer. The doctor told her she had multiple tumors spread to other parts of her body, and the damage was already done.
Her situation got worse. In January, she was diagnosed with Cushing Syndrome, which caused her to rapidly gain over 60 pounds, experience muscle and bone problems, high blood pressure, and other serious issues. She said this disease has taken a lot away from her and her family.
At first, Erika didn’t want to share her story, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. But as her health worsened, she realized she couldn’t hide it anymore. She said she was no longer able to work, which made things financially difficult for her. She reached out for help, accepting donations, support, and prayers from others.
Then, on September 18, Erika received a heartbreaking update. She decided to stop treatment because it wouldn’t help anymore. The doctors told her she only had three months left to live. She now hopes to spend that time with her two young children, Jeremiah (7) and Aaliyah (5).
And..’suddenly’
*Erika Diarte-Carr-33-US
*Update: 2024
*Single Mum of 2 planning her own funeral after walking into hospital with shoulder pain
*3 mos to live: aggressive form of Stage4 Small Cell Lung Carcinoma & multiple tumors throughout her body
https://t.co/088TVEXlKo pic.twitter.com/vdMwkTteYH
— cheri maday (@resilient333) October 1, 2024
Erika said that over the next few months, she needs to make sure her children will be okay after she’s gone. One of the hardest things she had to do was plan her own funeral. Since she hasn’t been able to work for months, she didn’t have any money saved or life insurance. She estimated that she needed around $5,000 to cover the funeral costs and leave something behind for her kids.
Donors responded generously, and as the amount raised grew, Erika assured them that any money over the funeral costs would go into a trust fund for her children. She wanted to make sure they’d be okay as they grew up.
She also talked about making memories with her kids, like planning a family camping trip, so they would have something to remember her by after she’s gone.
The post A single mother who was diagnosed with terminal cancer tried to raise money for her own funeral, but she ended up receiving much more support than she expected. appeared first on HuffBreak.
