Hailey Merkt, a former contestant on "The Bachelor," has died after a battle with cancer. (GoFundMe)
A former contestant on “The Bachelor” has died after a battle with cancer at the age of 31.
Hailey Merkt died after battling leukemia, according to her friends and family.
“It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life,” an Instagram message posted on Tuesday read.
Merkt appeared on the 21st season of the ABC reality series in 2017.
The former reality TV contestant began sharing updates on social media following her leukemia diagnosis years after appearing on the show.
In April, she announced that she was “leukemia-free” after an experimental treatment that had just a 2% chance of working.
“This test took weeks to get back. The suspense was killing us all! But then I got the call that I was cancer-free,” Merkt wrote. “I still have a ton of healing. My immunity will be the same as a newborn until 12 months post-transplant. So, I’ll be slowly and carefully getting better day by day.”
This week, her loved ones sadly shared the update on Merkt’s behalf regarding her death last Friday.
They said after the bone marrow transplant had occurred, Merkt was told she had nine months to not think about cancer, but it turned out she had just six weeks before she got the news that leukemia cells were back and moving fast.
“Hailey faced this journey with unimaginable strength, grace, and selflessness,” the Instagram message continued. “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. “
Several of Merkt’s friends and family have shared their condolences and memories on social media.