Too soon, it was taken. RIP
Hailey Merkt, a former contestant on The Bachelor, sadly passed away at the age of 31 after a valiant fight with illness. An moving remembrance of Hailey and a poignant post on her personal Instagram profile served as confirmation of her departure.
An Emotional Farewell
The post she made on Instagram read as follows:
After a valiant battle for her life, our beautiful Hailey went away, and we share this news with shattered hearts. Hailey shown incredible bravery, kindness, and selflessness during her trip. Despite every deadline the physicians set, her bravery, tenacity, and will to live were evident. She made the regretless decision to spend her final hours doing what she enjoyed most—hanging out with family and friends.
Hailey was characterized as “highly entertaining, never dull, and fully present in the moment,” and she was recalled as a lively and captivating person. The message kept honoring her spirit:
“Hailey had an unparalleled zest for life and her lovely spirit has touched many people’s lives.” Anyone who knew Hailey will sincerely miss her. Her joy, love, and vibrant spirit will live on in our hearts forever. Though we are saddened by her passing, we find comfort in the knowledge that everyone she touched will carry on her legacy. Hailey, rest in peace.
Community Assistance
Following Hailey’s death, her bereaved family launched a GoFundMe page to provide them with support during this trying time. The campaign, which has raised over 112,208 Canadian dollars thanks to the overwhelmingly kind response, will run until August 10.
The Bachelor Journey of Hailey
In Season 21 of The Bachelor (2017), Hailey made her debut as a competitor for Nick Viall’s affection. Despite leaving a lasting impression, she was eliminated during the competition’s second week.
Recalling Hailey
Many of Hailey’s friends and other Bachelor contestants shared memories of her on social media and offered their sympathies.
In Season 21, Danielle Maltby costarred with Hailey and wrote:
“I’m grateful to have met the sweetest, most delightful person in the most unlikely locations and feel really fortunate to know your laugh. Thank you so much for our relationship, both in real life and online. Hey girl, don’t worry about her formidable presence. Love and blessings to all of your people.
Raven Gates conveyed her sorrow by stating:
“Oh my gosh! I’m very sorry to hear this. It was my sincere hope that she would recover quickly. It’s okay, Hailey. You will always be in our hearts.
Ashley Stern also reminisced about her happy times:
I consider myself fortunate to have known such a nice, kind person and to have had such wonderful chats with her. Hailey, I’ll never forget you.
Dominique Alexis additionally stated:
“My dear, I hope you are in a lovely, tranquil spot. I can’t believe I won’t see you in the future, but I will always cherish the memories.
Hailey’s Battle with Leukemia
Hailey was transparent with her fans about her fight with leukemia, sharing both her victories and setbacks. Her celebration of being “leukemia free” in April gave her fans and loved ones optimism. Regretfully, three months later, things became worse for her.
The terrible course of her sickness was disclosed in a message on her GoFundMe page:
She was informed that she had nine months to forget about cancer after the bone marrow transplant, but in reality, she had only six weeks before receiving the devastating news that her leukemia cells had returned and were spreading quickly. “I don’t care about myself anymore, but I can’t bear being the cause of so much pain for the people I love,” was her initial response.
Hailey courageously shared images and videos of her fight with the world. She shared a picture of herself grinning while undergoing therapy in October 2023, describing it as a “rare moment.” She captured her tenacious spirit and joy of life on her Instagram feed, which was full of selfies, pictures of her dog, modeling shots, and peeks into her daily life.
The loss of Hailey Merkt is great, and she will be remembered for her courage, optimism, and happiness that she offered to everyone in her vicinity.
