Former “Bachelor” contestant Hailey Merkt died last week of complications from leukemia at age 31.
“It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life,” read a statement on Merkt’s Instagram page shared Tuesday. “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.”
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“She will forever be remembered as anything but boring, always hysterically funny, and as someone who lived fully in the present moment,” the statement continued. “Hailey embraced life with an unmatched zest; her beautiful spirit has touched countless lives.”
Merkt, who died July 26, appeared on the 21st season of the ABC reality series in 2017.
The heartfelt tribute went on to praise her “vibrant spirit,” noting that she “will be profoundly missed by all who knew her.”
Merkt previously opened up about her leukemia diagnosis on social media.
Back in October, she shared a photo of herself receiving treatment at the hospital.
“A rare moment caught smiling during treatment :),” she captioned the post.
In April, she announced on her GoFundMe page that she had been declared “leukemia free.” An update was recently shared on the page following her death.
“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,” the update explained.
“She had such clarity and independence and grace. She decided she wanted to live every last minute she had to the fullest: being with the people she loved and doing the things she loved,” the update added.
