A Utah mother of two battling terminal cancer has raised more than $900,000 to plan for her funeral and the trust fund of her children.
Erika Diarte-Carr, 30, is a single mother to Jeremiah, 7, and Aaliyah, 5. The Utah resident initially set up a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $5,000 to cover a funeral service. Over 33,000 donors have banded together for the cause.
As of Sept. 29, Diarte-Carr has raised $980,562. The donations will be put into a trust fund for her two children.
Getting the Diagnosis
On May 7, 2022, Diarte-Carr walked into the emergency room to get treatment for a normal shoulder injury. During surgery, doctors learned she had Stage 4 small cell lung carcinoma, a rare cancer. The shoulder pain was caused by the cancer, which had already metastasized to other parts of her body, including the skeletal system.
Her condition improved following treatment. However, she was diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome in January 2024.
Cushing's is a rare hormonal disorder where the body makes too much cortisol or is exposed to too much cortisol. This disorder affects only 40 to 70 people out of every one million, per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Some of its symptoms include weight gain and high blood pressure.
Cushing's can be fatal if left untreated.
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Stopping Treatments
Following Cushing's diagnosis, Diarte-Carr suffered numerous health issues, including losing the ability to walk. She restarted treatment on Sept. 18 but was later told she only has a life expectancy of only three months.
Diarte-Carr has since stopped treatment, choosing instead to spend her time with her children. She is now planning her own funeral.
"I never expected to have a big funeral service or a lot of people reach out and help me. With the way it's gone, I'm just in shock ... just very grateful for everybody and everything that's been there," she told ABC4.
She added that she set up the GoFundMe campaign after her illness left her unable to work for months.
