Terminally Ill Mother Seeks to Raise $5,000 to Pay for Funeral, Ends Up Receiving Over $1 Million

Terminally Ill Mother Seeks to Raise $5,000 to Pay for

A terminally ill single mother from Utah who set out to raise $5,000 for her funeral expenses has passed away, but not before raising over $1 million in donations from supporters across the country.

The day before Mother's Day in 2022, Erika Carr was diagnosed with Stage 4 small cell lung carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. "I hope you have a good support system at home," doctors told the single mother of two young children. "You're going to need it, you have a long and hard journey ahead of you."

30-year-old Carr had been fighting the disease for over two years by Sept. 2024 when doctors told her she had just three months to live. Faced with a terminal prognosis, Carr made the decision to discontinue treatment and spend her remaining time with her children, Jeremiah, 7, and Aaliyah, 5.

Carr created her own GoFundMe campaign in hopes of raising $5,000 to cover funeral expenses, and to leave a small amount of money for her children. What she didn't anticipate was the outpouring of support from more than 37,000 donors, raising over $1 million.

"It happened overnight," Carr told ABC4. "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."

On Oct. 12, a family member notified followers of Carr's passing on Facebook. "It is with a heavy heart that this is the final update I will be giving for my cousin Erika."

"She fought a long and hard battle," Angelique Rivera continued. "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."

Weeks ago, Carr updated her GoFundMe with a message of gratitude, announcing that a trust fund had been established for her children.

"I can promise you that your help is going to keep my kids financially stable the rest of their lives," she wrote. "Please know how much of an impact your support and trust has had on not just mine but my kids' lives in such a positive way!"