Mom who raised over $1M for her kids after terminal cancer diagnosis dies at 30
A mom who raised over $1 million to help support her young son and daughter after a terminal cancer diagnosis has died at the age of 30.
Erika Diarte-Carr, a single mom to a 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, died on Oct. 11, her cousin, Angel Rivera, confirmed to ABC News.
Rivera also shared the news of her cousin's death in a Facebook post on Oct. 12, writing, "She fought a long and hard battle. She was strong and held on as long as she could for her babies. I know she was so thankful for all of your support and love and prayers."
Diarte-Carr's death came more than two years after she was diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer, according to her viral GoFundMe, which she started just weeks before her death.
Diarte-Carr, of Ogden, Utah, said in the GoFundMe that she was diagnosed in May 2022 with small cell lung carcinoma, a type of "fast-growing cancer that forms in the tissues of the lung," according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.
"On May 7th, 2022, the day before Mother's Day, I walked into the emergency room due to what I thought to be just a normal shoulder injury and walked out diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer along with the doctor's words replaying in my head, 'I hope you have a good support system at home because you're going to need it, you have a long and hard journey ahead of you,'" Diarte-Carr wrote, also writing of her diagnosis, "In that moment, mine and my kids' entire lives had changed forever, as well as all of those around us."
The 30-year-old also shared that this January she received another difficult diagnosis, learning she had Cushing's syndrome, a hormonal disorder that occurs when the body makes too much cortisol, known as the "stress hormone," according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
In her fundraising plea, Diarte-Carr said she was no longer able to work, which had put a financial burden on her family.
Diarte-Carr said she was told in September that her prognosis was worsening and chose to discontinue treatment in order to be able to maximize her time with her children and family.
As her plea went viral and skyrocketed to over $1 million in donations, Diarte-Carr said the money would be used for her funeral expenses and for a trust fund for her two children.
"That way I can leave behind something for them and I can still ensure they are going to be OK as they grow up," she wrote.
In September, Diarte-Carr told ABC affiliate station KTVX-TV that she was shocked by the amount of support she received from friends and strangers alike.
"It happened overnight. I never expected that," she told KTVX. "I never expected to have a big funeral service, or a lot of people reach out and help me. With the way it's went, I'm just in shock … just very grateful for everybody and everything that's been there."
