Single Mom of 2 Diagnosed with Cancer Sets GoFundme for Her Funeral

This unfortunate tragic story of a selfless single mother who was diagnosed with cancer had two months to live created a Gofundme page for her funeral and a trust fund for two young children.

30-year-old Ericka Diatre-Carr has been living the mom life taking care of her two children: seven-year-old Jeremiah and five-year-old Aaliyah. She raised her children on her own and loves them dearly.

On May 2022, the day before Mother's Day, Carr's life would change drastically forever. Carr went for a check-up after suffering a shoulder injury unfortunately her injury turned out to be something she never thought she would expect.

Carr was diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell lung carcinoma, a “high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma,” she stated on her GoFundMe. Her diagnosis came the day before Mother’s Day, and she’s been battling for her life for over two years now. Doctors told her, “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.”

Her condition had improved — positive scans giving her the opportunity to stop treatment and see how she progressed. During this time, on January 17, 2024, she developed Cushing’s syndrome — a rare hormonal disorder that occurs when the body is exposed to too much cortisol for an extended period. It has had a multitude of difficult impacts on her body, including rapid weight gain and swelling, muscle and bone deterioration, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes. While she was dealing with her condition, Carr was working full time, taking only 2 months off in the beginning for surgeries, biopsies, appointments, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments.

Though she restarted treatment, on September 18, 2024, doctors told her that she had three months to live. Carr decided to stop treatments and accept her fate but before she created a Gofundme page for her own funeral and funding for her two children.

“Three months to spend with my babies and loved ones. Three months to make the best of what time I have left. During these next couple of months I need to make sure my kids will be ok after I am gone. I am faced now with the most difficult thing of planning my own funeral.”

Carr's Gofundme Page

Her page was initially $5,000 until it surpassed $900,000 as of September 29 overnight. Carr appeared on ABC4 Utah to share her story and she felt about the donation page getting funded overnight.

“It happened overnight. I never expected that. “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.”

Carr told ABC4 Utah

Unfortunately, Diarte-Carr passed away at age 33. Her family released a statement of her passing.

"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. 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 prayer."

Angelique Rivera, Carr's cousin Facebook post

Prior to her death, her Gofundme raised $1 million funds enough for her own funeral and her children's trust funds.

This is one of the most tragic saddest stories. I am grateful that they were people donating for Carr and her two young children. Carr did the most selfless thing that every loving mother would have done. I hope Carr's family would take care of her children and keep their childrens' trust funds saved for them not for themselves. Rest eternal peace Erika. I hope you have found peace.