Utah woman raised $1.2m for her kids before her death from cancer

A single mother from Utah, who was confronted with a terminal cancer diagnosis in 2022, managed to raise more than $1m in donations meant to help secure her children’s future before she died over the weekend, according to her family.

The story of Erika Diarte-Carr, 30, broke hearts across the US’s digital landscape particularly after relatives announced her death Saturday in a social media post that went viral.

“Erika … was strong and held on as long as she could for her babies,” read the post in question, which was authored by a cousin. “I know she was so thankful for all of your support and love and prayers.”

As her online fundraising campaign and the Utah news outlet KTVX each told it, Diarte-Carr learned she had terminal lung cancer after walking into an emergency room seeking treatment for what she believed was a relatively routine “shoulder injury” the day before Mother’s Day in 2022.

Diarte-Carr later wrote on the page for her GoFundMe campaign that doctors told her: “I hope you have a good support system at home because you’re going to need it.” She said she initially responded well to cancer treatments and discontinued them, but she later developed a rare hormonal disorder that prompted her to restart them.

The restarted treatments did not yield the same results as the original, and in September doctors reportedly told her she had three months to live. She chose to discontinue her treatments and focus on spending her final days with her children: Jeremiah, seven, and five-year-old Aaliyah.

Meanwhile, on GoFundMe, she asked for $5,000 to pay for her funeral as well as support the son and daughter whom she referred to as her “whole life, light and soul”. She said she did not have life insurance, and her declining health had left her unable to earn money by working or build up any savings.

GoFundMe users as of Tuesday had reacted with nearly $1.2m – an amount that was 240 times above her goal.

“Your strength and courage in facing such a difficult situation are truly inspiring,” read a message from one donor. “It takes immense strength to face what you are going through, and your bravery shines brightly.”

In the final message on her GoFundMe site, Diarte-Carr said all funds left over after covering her funeral would be “put into a trust fund for my babies”.

“That way I can leave something for them, and I can still ensure they are going to be OK as they grow up,” Diarte-Carr said.