Celebrity death: Bachelor US star Hailey Merkt dies aged 31 after cancer battle
The Bachelor US alum Hailey Merkt has died after a battle with cancer. She was 31.
Merkt, who appeared on season 21 of the popular dating show, passed away on Friday July 26.
“It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life,” a statement posted to Merkt’s Instagram account this morning read.
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After becoming diagnosed with Leukemia, Merkt underwent chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in a “fight for her life”. Despite the challenges, Merkt’s loved ones said “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 Instagram statement continued.
“She will forever be remembered 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.”
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Upon learning the news, many of Merkt’s friends, family and colleagues took to Instagram with tributes for her.
Lacey Palumbo, one of Merkt’s The Bachelor costars expressed her sadness at the news writing: “[Hailey] was such a gem, the kindest soul, so fun to be around. RIP”
“Struggling to find the words is an understatement, probably because there are no words that will ever feel right,” wrote Merkt’s close friend Jodie Lavery.
As Merkt’s battle with cancer progressed she took to Instagram to share her journey.
“Really scared to post this but it’s time to let a lot of people know that care about me know what’s happening with me,” she wrote on her Instagram story last October.
“I have Leukemia, and there’s a pretty good chance I won’t make it.”
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In April, she shared a positive update to her GoFundMe page that she was “leukemia free” after a successful stem cell transplant.
An update was posted to the platform after Merkt’s passing by the organiser Christopher Bennett who wrote: “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.”
“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.”
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