The family of a single mother who raised $1.2 million for her children while dying of cancer held a candlelight vigil before her funeral.
Erika Diarte-Carr died in Ogden, Utah, on October 11 after a long battle with a highly aggressive form of small cell lung carcinoma, at just 31 years old.
She began planning her own funeral after receiving the devastating diagnosis and hoped to raise $5,000 to pay for it.
Instead, thousands of people around the world accumulated more than $1.2 million, with all leftover funds held in trust for their children Jeremiah, 7, and Aaliyah, 5.
Erika Diarte-Carr, a mother of two, died of terminal cancer, but not before raising $1.2 million for her children Jeremiah, 7, and Aaliyah, 5.
Carr’s funeral will be held Oct. 23 at the local Leavitt Mortuary, and his family held a vigil Thursday night.
“She was everything to me, she was the person I could turn to and she was always there for me at all times,” said her sister Vanessa Barnes.
Gina Barnes, Carr’s other sister, said her children were “going through a very difficult time” but were helped by community support.
‘We’re just trying to cry together and show people who Erika was. She was a great person, a really kind soul.’
Jeramiah was baptized by The Genesis Project in Ogden Sunday morning as prayers and baptismal blessings were said for his younger sister.
Senior Pastor Matt Roberts told the congregation that Erika’s dying wish was to be baptized, as were her children.
Diarte-Carr, a mother of two from Utah, died of terminal cancer, her family confirmed in heartbreaking social media posts.
Her diagnosis of Cushing’s disease caused her to deteriorate after her treatment was stopped, leaving her as ill as before she died.
He told those who had gathered: “This family is heading into unprecedented times, but today we celebrate the legacy that a mother has left to her children.”
Carr’s family shared heartbreaking monochrome photos of her after she died in bed, with her face obscured by a heart emoji.
Two family members were shown hugging in pain just feet away, while another black-and-white shot appeared to show the mother in bed during her final moments.
‘RIP my beautiful angel, forever in our hearts and never forgotten,’ wrote her cousin, Angelique Rivera. “I’ll see you on the other side, my boo.”
His shocking terminal cancer diagnosis came after he entered the emergency room with just a shoulder injury three years ago.
She received the devastating news just one day before Mother’s Day in 2022, before learning on January 17 of this year that she was also living with Cushing’s syndrome.
This caused him to gain weight rapidly, more than 60 pounds in a matter of weeks.
Diarte-Carr’s cousin posted a black and white image of a family member hugging her young son as his mother lay dying in bed next to them.
Diarte-Carr (pictured in his final days) died at the age of 33, family members confirmed
Carr began to experience muscle and bone deterioration, high blood pressure, moon face, and type 2 diabetes.
she said ABC 4 that Cushing also prevented him from walking.
The single mother continued working full-time as long as possible and only took two months off for appointments, surgeries, biopsies, radiation treatments and chemotherapy.
“I have felt ashamed and embarrassed that people knew the truth that I have kept this a secret for as long as I could,” she wrote in a GoFundMe page“but the physical effects are starting to take over and I can’t hide it anymore.”
Treatments were stopped when his scans began to clear up, but his Cushing’s dramatically affected his health and quality of life in the months that followed.
“Three months to spend with my babies and my loved ones,” Diarte-Carr wrote shortly before she died, “three months to make the most of the time I have left.”
Carr continued to work full-time for as long as possible, only taking two months off for appointments, surgeries, biopsies, radiation treatments and chemotherapy.
He said Cushing’s disease was one of the main reasons his health deteriorated so much to where he is now.
Carr stopped his treatments in September because they were no longer effective and he was told he only had three months to live.
“Three months to spend with my babies and loved ones,” she wrote, “three months to make the most of the time I have left.”
Carr explained that she wanted to spend time with her children without getting sick from the treatments and medications.
He said that now all his energy is devoted to his children and that he wanted to “make the best of it” in the remaining time.
Now she faced the difficult task of planning her own funeral and making sure her children were taken care of.
Asking for help anyway, he launched the page with a goal of $5,000. to be used for his funeral expenses and support for his children after his death. Since then, fundraising has exceeded $750,000.
‘Because I haven’t been able to work for months, I don’t have any money saved or any life insurance set aside for this situation. “If you could donate or share something, we would appreciate it,” he said.
She started a fundraiser, asking for help in any way she could, with a goal of $5,000 on GoFundMe for her funeral and to help support her children after her passing.
“All funds that exceeded the cost of my funeral will now go into a trust fund for my babies, that way I can leave something for them and can still make sure they will be okay when they grow up,” Diartecarr wrote
Diarte-Carr then informed those who donated or will donate that she had stopped her treatments because they were no longer effective and told them she had three months to live.
Her cousin Rivera shared a heartbreaking photo of her children hugging their mother in a hospital bed and her story touched the hearts of many.
“We are speechless and could never thank you enough,” Rivera wrote.
Viewers of the post reached out in the comments offering help and support to the family in any way they could.
‘Is there anything else we can do? Meals? Halloween costumes? His story has touched many!! Praying for her and her sweet babies.’ wrote one.
Another commented: ‘OMG I’m praying so hard for your comfort and for your sweet babies who will have to navigate without their mom. This story destroyed me. Please God take care of these beautiful people.’
Many others offered help to the children and Carr in her final months, with toys, donations, food and asking how they could get involved.
Carr stopped his treatments in September because they were no longer effective and he was told he only had three months to live.
Their community in Ogden, Utah, offered a lot of help and support to the single mother and her family by offering meals, toys, money and prayers, as well as any help they could provide.
She thanked those who contributed and wrote: ‘All funds that exceeded the cost of my funeral will now be put into a trust fund for my babies, that way I can leave something for them and can still make sure they will be okay as they go. grow.’
Carr also expressed gratitude to his medical team in Ogden for their “time, attention and patience.”
‘My family and I thank you ALL from the bottom of our hearts!’ he said.
And he added: ‘(My children) are my whole life, light and soul. My children are my struggle and what keeps me going.’
Five-year-old Ailiyah told ABC 4, “She’s special to us.”
The family is planning a camping trip and hope the children can experience another Christmas with their mom.