Terminally ill Ogden woman dies after raising more than $1 million for her young children

OGDEN, Utah, October 12, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) – Erika Diarte-Carr, who was reportedly told in September she only had three months to live, has died of terminal cancer, but not before reaching her final destination had achieved.

The 30-year-old single mother wanted to raise $5,000 to help pay for her funeral and use the additional funds to support the future of her son and daughter, ages 7 and 5, she wrote in her June 26 fundraising post.

Carr died knowing that her efforts and those of her supporters had raised more than a million dollars when her GoFundMe campaign went viral. Newsweek magazine even shared her story in a September 30 article. As of Saturday morning, the account had raised $1,166,217 from 37,927 donations.

“Praying for you, for your final days on this side of heaven,” one donor wrote a little over a week ago.

“May your children have peace and joy in their hearts, remember you and be in excellent care for the rest of their lives. I will pray for them and their caregivers.”

As in all cases, Gephardt Daily cannot guarantee that GoFundMe funds will be used for the purposes stated. Carr's page features a “Donations Protected” emblem and link.

Carr's cousin posted an update on a social media site in the early hours of Saturday. It was an Ogden-related page where several friends and former colleagues reported that they knew Carr and where she and strangers had cheered her on.

“It is with a heavy heart that this is the last update I will give to my cousin Erika,” Carr’s cousin wrote. “She joined her mother Sylvia, her brother JJ and her uncles Chava and 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 grateful for all of your support, love and prayers.”

Carr's fight

Carr shared her own story on the site. In September 2022, she went to the emergency room with shoulder pain and learned she had terminal stage 4 cancer, she wrote.

“By this point, the damage had already been done,” Carr wrote. “In that moment, my life and the lives of my children and everyone around us were changed forever.

“Unfortunately, that’s not all…. On January 17, 2024 I was diagnosed with Cushing's Syndrome. Which has caused me so many other underlying problems such as rapid weight gain and swelling (over 30 pounds in a few weeks), muscle and bone loss, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, moon face and much more! This illness has already taken so much from me and my family!”

She added an update to the account last month.

“On September 18, 2024, I had a medical appointment with my oncologist. Unfortunately, I didn't receive the best news. Based on my prognosis, I have decided to stop the treatments as they will no longer help. I was given three months to live. Three months to spend with my babies and loved ones. Three months to make the most of the time I have left.

“Over the next few months I need to make sure my kids are okay while I’m away. I now face the most difficult task of planning my own funeral. Since I haven't been able to work for months, I have neither reserves nor life insurance for this situation. I've looked at the costs and need to come up with about $5,000 to make sure the funeral costs are covered. I also want to leave something behind for my babies.”

It turned out she would live less than a month. Carr made her last GoFundMe page update on October 3rd.

“First of all, I would like to thank you very much for your continued love and support. I personally wanted to share an update on my current situation. Thanks to your generous donation, starting today, I and the children will be able to plan a big trip as a family that will give them unforgettable memories.

“Otherwise, I can promise you that your help will ensure that my children remain financially stable for the rest of their lives as I put everything into a trust fund for them.”

There is no current information on whether any travel has been undertaken in the remaining days. Carr also wrote about her plan to do a live TikTok video when she is able to do so to address speculation that her story is a scam.

“I want to make sure everyone knows that this is indeed, unfortunately, a real situation. I only ask you for patience and time, because even the simplest everyday things that are easy for you are no longer easy for me, and some things take much longer for me and it is difficult to do them on time.

“Please know what a positive impact your support and trust has had on not only my life, but also the lives of my children! You are truly an angel and I am blessed to have received your care, love, support and prayers.”