Hailey Merkt, 1993 – 2024

The Bachelor contestant Hailey Merkt, 31, died on July 26 of leukemia, despite a stem-cell transplant from her brother. In 2017, she competed for the hand and heart of Bachelor Nick Viall, though she was eliminated early on. The Vancouver-born photographer, said her family, “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.” Merkt herself shortly before her death posted a thank-you to her GoFundMe donors who paid her “rent, groceries, and hundreds of Uber rides back and forth from the hospital.” She added, “Don’t sweat the small stuff ;).”