'PROFOUNDLY MISSED'
The Bachelor’s Hailey Merkt dies aged 31 after Leukemia battle as family remembers her ‘strength & grace’
Hailey spoke openly about her battle with cancer, as well as the outlook for her future
BACHELOR alum Hailey Merkt has died aged 31 following a battle with leukemia.
News of her death was confirmed in a social media post shared on her personal Instagram page after her passing.
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The , which featured a photo of Hailey, revealed that she died on July 26.
"It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life," the post began.
"Hailey faced this journey with unimaginable strength, grace, and selflessness. Her determination, courage, and will to live surpassed every timeline the doctors gave her, and she chose to spend her final moments surrounded by loved ones and doing what she cherished most with no regrets."
The post praised Hailey as "anything but boring, always hysterically funny, and as someone who lived fully in the present moment."
"Hailey embraced life with an unmatched zest; her beautiful spirit has touched countless lives," the caption added.
The post continued, "Hailey will be profoundly missed by all who knew her. Her laughter, her love, and her vibrant spirit have left an undeniable mark on our heart. While we grieve her loss, we find comfort in knowing that her spirit will live on in all the lives she touched.
"Rest in peace, Hailey."
A has been established to support Hailey's family in the wake of her death.
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The page, which has raised more than $112,208 Canadian dollars, will remain open until August 10.
Hailey was introduced to Bachelor fans in Season 21 of the show in 2017, during which she competed for Nick Viall's heart.
She was eliminated during the second week of the competition.
REMEMBERING HAILEY
"I count myself so lucky to know your laugh and grateful to have met and loves the realest, warmest, most beautiful soul in the weirdest of places. Forever grateful for your friendship there and in the real world.... What a force my girl, rest easy. So much love to all your people," Danielle Maltby, who appeared on the same season of The Bachelor, wrote in a comment on the post announcing her death.
"Oh my gosh!!! I'm so so sad to hear this. I was so hoping for her recovery. Rest easy, Hailey. You'll never be forgotten," Raven Gates posted.
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Season 15 - Hannah Brown
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"I feel lucky to have known and shared such beautiful conversations with such a beautiful strong soul. I'll never forget you Hailey," Vanessa Stern wrote.
"My love, I hope you are in the most beautiful peaceful place. I can't imagine that I won't see you again but I'll cherish every memory," Dominique Alexis posted.
HAILEY'S BATTLE
Hailey shared openly about her battle with leukemia online.
In April, she celebrated being "leukemia free," which gave fans hope.
Just three months later, however, things took a turn for the worse.
"After the bone marrow transplant had taken, she was told she had nine months to not even think about cancer, but in truth she only had 6 weeks before she got the terrible news that leukemia cells were back and moving fast," an update on her GoFundMe revealed.
"Her first reaction was to say, 'I don't care about myself anymore, but I can't bear being the cause of so much pain for the people I love."
Throughout her fight with cancer, Hailey posted photos and videos documenting her progress and her setbacks.
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In October 2023, she shared a pic of her smiling while getting a treatment, noting that it was a "rare moment."
Prior to that post, her feed was business as usual – selfies, pictures of her dog, modeling photos and glimpses into her daily life.
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