A single mother of two had her dying wish fulfilled, thanks to a GoFundMe she created earlier this year.
Erika Diarte-Carr, 30, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 12, after a “long and hard” two-year battle with a rare terminal cancer known as small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), according to her cousin, Angelique Rivera.
“It is with a heavy heart that this is the final update I will be giving for my cousin Erika,” Rivera wrote in a Facebook post. “She was strong and held on as long as she could for her babies.”
RELATED: Jenna Fischer reveals triple-positive breast cancer diagnosis, but has good news
In June, Diarte-Carr created a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $5,000 to help cover her funeral costs and to leave something behind for her two children, son Jeremiah, 7, and daughter Aaliyah, 5.
In a Sept. 18 update, Diarte-Carr explained that she had three months to live.
At the time, she didn’t have any life insurance and didn’t have any money saved up for her kids. She thanked everyone for their donations and confirmed that they would be put into a children’s trust fund.
As of Oct. 15, the GoFundMe has surpassed its initial goal of $5,000 and has now raised nearly $1.2 million for the two children. More than 38,000 people have donated to the cause over the past four months.
Erika died of terminal cancer and Cushing Syndrome
In her initial GoFundMe description, Diarte-Carr described herself as a “very reserved, quiet and private person” who doesn’t usually like asking for help. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
“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,” she wrote.
According to the National Cancer Institute, small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) is a “type of fast-growing cancer that forms in the tissues of the lung” and usually starts spreading by the time it’s diagnosed.
After a year and a half of battling cancer, Erika’s prognosis grew worse when she was diagnosed with Cushing Syndrome on Jan. 17, 2024.
The disorder resulted in numerous changes, including “rapid weight gain & swelling (60+ lbs in a matter of weeks), muscle and bone deterioration, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, Moon Face” and more.
According to Mayo Clinic, Cushing Syndrome “happens when the body has too much of the hormone cortisol for a long time.” Treatments usually involve lowering the body’s cortisol levels.
Even in the midst of tragedy, Erika’s personality always shined through
On Oct. 1, Angel took to Facebook to announce that they “were able to finalize her funeral services,” which took a giant weight off the family’s shoulders.
Angel described it as a “sad but humorous process” because Erika was still cracking jokes like she did her entire life. She even got to go through catalogs and pick out her flowers, urn, and funeral package.
“Too bad these flowers aren’t for my wedding,” Angel recalled Erika saying as she flipped through the pages of a floral book. “It’s not everyday you get to plan your own funeral.”
She also took a moment to reassure her followers that the donations would go to her two children.
“The number 1 question/concern everyone had was and is getting taken care of (it’s still in the works) but every penny donated for her children is simply that,” she wrote. “FOR HER CHILDREN ONLY.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims Queen Elizabeth battle bone cancer at the end of her life
Funeral arrangements haven’t been shared by Angel, but she did disclose that Erika’s son, Jeremiah, was baptized on Oct. 13, the day after she died. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family.