A Utah mother with terminal cancer who spent her final weeks raising over $1 million for her children and her own funeral expenses has died.
Erika Carr's death was announced early Saturday by her cousin on social media.
"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 prayers," wrote Angelique Rivera.
Carr's story reverberated worldwide last month when the 30-year-old single mother of two shared her condition in a plea to help her children's future on GoFundMe.
Just a day before Mother's Day 2022, Carr said she went to the emergency room with what she thought was just a shoulder injury. She was eventually diagnosed with small cell lung carcinoma, stage 4 terminal cancer.
“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," Carr said the doctors told her.
Earlier this year, Carr was also diagnosed with Cushing Syndrome, a hormonal disorder that caused her to lose weight, as well as deteriorating her muscles and bones.
On Sept. 18, Carr made the decision to end further treatment due to her prognosis. With an estimated three months to live, she hoped to raise $5,000 to help pay for her own funeral expenses.
"I’ve never been good at accepting or asking for help but unfortunately, I believe I’ve come to a point in my life and health where that is no longer an option for me," Carr wrote.
Carr's plea immediately went viral, with donations pouring in from all over the world. As of Monday, the GoFundMe had raised nearly $1.2 million — money that will go to secure the future of her children, Jeremiah and Aaliyah.
In her most recent update to the GoFundMe, Carr wrote that the money that remained following her funeral would be put in a trust fund for the children.
This story was originally published by Jeff Tavss at Scripps News Salt Lake City.
