Former “Bachelor” contestant Hailey Merkt died on July 26 following a battle with cancer. About two months prior to her death, Merkt posted what would become her very last Instagram upload.
“Jammies day,” she captioned a post of her dog lying in her bed on May 5. Only a couple of people commented on the post, both leaving heart emoji.
Merkt was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at the end of 2023. She started treatment straight away and things seemed to improve. As of April 2024, Merkt said that she was cancer-free in a blog post on GoFundMe. However, things took a turn in the weeks that followed.
Merkt was on Nick Viall‘s season of “The Bachelor.”
Hailey Merkt Only Shared a Handful of Posts Since Her Diagnosis
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Merkt wasn’t super active on Instagram following her cancer diagnosis. After the news went public, she shared a photo of herself receiving chemotherapy.
“A rare moment caught smiling during treatment,” she captioned a post on October 24, 2023. A few days later, the former reality star celebrated her 31st birthday.
“31,” she captioned a post, adding the birthday cake emoji. “And not the [expletive] last,” she added.
On November 18, 2023, she uploaded a picture of an ax. A month later, Merkt shared a photo of the back of a white jacket that was worn in a runway show. “Gumy watches 2019,” she wrote.
Merkt’s Instagram post on May 5 was her first — and only — of 2024.
A post confirming her death was uploaded on July 30 by a loved one.
“It is with broken hearts we share that our beloved Hailey has passed away after a courageous fight for her life. Hailey faced this journey with unimaginable strength, grace, and selflessness,” the caption read, in part.
More Than $115,000 Has Been Raised for Hailey Merkt on GoFundMe
A GoFundMe was originally set up to help Merkt and her family pay for her medical bills and other expenses that she faced throughout her treatment. Following her death, the GoFundMe has remained open and any money donated will go to Merkt’s mom, Michele.
“To everyone who gave to her GoFundMe, I don’t think you’ll ever fully know what a lifeline it was. It took the sudden and immense strain of worrying how to pay for the rent, living expenses, her medications, her trial medicine which did in the end give her an extra 8 irreplaceable months, and later her beloved dog Snuggles getting cancer and having his tumour removed. It gave her the ease to feel she was still living her life in the time she had left,” reads an update on the GoFundMe site.
“As we finalize family plans, we have decided to keep the GoFundMe Page open for anyone else wishing to offer support in lieu of flowers until August 10, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. As per Hailey’s wishes, there will not be an official funeral. To leave a message for Hailey’s family or friends, or in her memory, please go to her Instagram account @haileymerkt,” the update continues.
At the time of this writing, the amount of money raised exceeds $116,000.
Effie Orfanides has more than two decades of experience in entertainment journalism. She has been a contributor with Heavy since 2017 covering entertainment news. Effie is based in Tampa, Florida. More about Effie Orfanides
