A single mother who was diagnosed with terminal cancer has died after raising money for her own funeral and her children’s future. She was 30 years old.
Erika Diarte-Carr, mother to son Jeremiah, 7, and daughter Aaliyah, 5, died on Saturday, Oct. 12, her cousin, Angelique Rivera, announced in a Facebook post.
“It is with a heavy heart that this is the final update i will be giving for my cousin Erika. She has joined her mother Sylvia, her Brother JJ, her uncles Chava & Loui on the other side,” Rivera wrote on Saturday.
“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.”
Erika Diarte-Carrff.
gofundme
Diarte-Carr created a GoFundMe campaign on Sept. 18 to cover the costs for her funeral and “wanting to leave something behind for [her] babies.”
She set the initial goal of $5,000, but the page quickly garnered attention and received donations from more than 38,000 people raising nearly $1.2 million as of Monday night, Oct. 14.
Erika Diarte-Carr.
In her first update, the mom of two explained that on May 7, 2022, she went to the emergency room for what she thought was a shoulder injury, but was “diagnosed with stage 4 terminal cancer,” specifically, small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC).
Then on Jan. 17, 2024, she was diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome, a disorder caused when one’s body “makes too much of the hormone cortisol over a long period of time,” according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Only 40 to 70 people out of every 1 million people have the disorder,
Diarte-Carr explained how Cushing’s syndrome led to further issues, including “rapid weight gain & swelling (60+ lbs in a matter of weeks), muscle and bone deterioration, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, and Moon Face.” Moon Face is a condition that makes the face appear swollen and round.
She shared in the Sept. 18 update that she was given three months to live, and decided to complete the “difficult thing” of planning her own funeral.
Erika Diarte Carr following her cancer and Cushing’s syndrome diagnoses.
gofundme
She added that any funds exceeding her funeral costs would be placed into a trust fund for her children. On Sept. 29, the fund surpassed her goal and raised $1 million.
On Oct. 1, Rivera posted on Facebook that she and Diarte-Carr were able to “finalize her funeral services.”
Rivera later shared that Diarte-Carr and her children intended to be baptized on Sunday, Oct. 13. Although Diarte-Carr died the day before, her son Jeremiah was baptized.
Her funeral arrangements have not been shared.
