Hailey Merkt died on July 26, 2024, at age 31, after a battle with leukemia. Her death was announced four days later in a statement posted to her Instagram account by her loved ones. Merkt was known to television viewers as a contestant on season 21 of ABC’s The Bachelor, which aired in 2017 and starred Nick Viall.
What happened to Hailey Merkt?
Merkt’s family and loved ones said she died after battling leukemia. The announcement appeared on her Instagram on July 30, 2024, several days after her death.
In the statement, her loved ones described Merkt as someone who faced her illness with strength, grace and selflessness. They said she spent her final moments surrounded by people who loved her and doing what she cherished. Those descriptions come from her family’s statement and are presented here as their tribute to her.
Her illness and treatment
Public details about Merkt’s diagnosis and treatment came primarily from a fundraiser created for her family in October 2023 and later updates connected with that fundraiser.
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The fundraiser identified her illness as AML leukemia and said she underwent intensive treatment. It also said that her brother, Kyle, provided stem cells for a transplant. Some later reports referred to the procedure as a bone-marrow transplant; the available family materials use both bone-marrow and stem-cell terminology. It is therefore most precise to describe it as the transplant outlined by her family rather than assign a more specific medical label.
In an update shared in April 2024, Merkt said an experimental treatment had brought her to the remission needed for a stem-cell transplant. At that point, she described herself as cancer-free. That wording should not be confused with a declaration that she had been permanently cured: the later family fundraiser update said leukemia cells returned aggressively after the transplant initially appeared to take.
According to that family account, doctors had estimated that she might have roughly nine months before she needed to think about cancer again. The fundraiser said the disease returned after approximately six weeks. This is the family’s account of Merkt’s experience, not a general explanation of relapse risk or a complete medical chronology.
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Hailey Merkt on The Bachelor
Merkt appeared on season 21 of The Bachelor, which aired in 2017 with Nick Viall as the Bachelor. ABC’s archived cast announcement identified her as a 23-year-old photographer from Vancouver, British Columbia, and listed her among the 30 women cast for the season.
She was eliminated during the show’s second week. Her appearance was brief, but it made her part of the wider Bachelor Nation community that later responded to news of her death.
Viall later acknowledged Merkt’s death on his Viall Files podcast, remembering her as very kind and describing the loss as tragic. Former season 21 contestants and other Bachelor Nation figures, including Vanessa Grimaldi and Raven Gates, also shared tributes after the announcement.
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What her family said about her final months
The public record does not establish every detail of Merkt’s diagnosis, treatment or final care. No reliable information in the available reporting identifies an exact hospital, provides a complete treatment timeline or documents funeral arrangements.
What is documented is a difficult course of illness that included intensive treatment, an experimental therapy, a stem-cell or bone-marrow transplant and a later return of leukemia. Merkt’s April update reflected a period in which she believed she had reached the remission necessary for transplant and was cancer-free. The subsequent family update reported an aggressive relapse.
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The family’s statement focused not only on the illness but also on Merkt’s character and the time she spent with those closest to her. Her public updates and the fundraiser made her treatment journey known to supporters, while the final announcement asked people to remember her through the life she lived beyond the television show.
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Remembering Merkt beyond reality television
Merkt’s connection to The Bachelor explains why news of her death reached a large television audience, but the available accounts do not suggest that the program was central to her illness or treatment. Her public medical story came from her own updates and from materials shared by her family.
At the time of her death, Merkt was 31. She is remembered by her loved ones and by members of Bachelor Nation who reacted publicly to the news of a young woman’s death following a prolonged leukemia battle.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
When did Hailey Merkt die?
Hailey Merkt died on July 26, 2024, at age 31. Her death was publicly announced on July 30 in a statement posted to her Instagram account by her loved ones.
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What type of cancer did Hailey Merkt have?
Mainstream reports and her family’s announcement described the illness as leukemia. A fundraiser for her family identified it more specifically as AML leukemia.
Was Hailey Merkt on The Bachelor?
Yes. Merkt competed on season 21 of ABC’s The Bachelor, which aired in 2017 and featured Nick Viall. She was eliminated during the second week.
Did Hailey Merkt receive a transplant?
Yes. Family fundraising materials said she underwent a stem-cell or bone-marrow transplant after intensive treatment and an experimental therapy. The available sources do not provide enough detail to characterize the procedure more specifically.
The Bottom Line
Hailey Merkt died at 31 on July 26, 2024, after battling leukemia. The former Bachelor contestant had publicly documented intensive treatment, an apparent remission and a transplant before her family said the leukemia returned aggressively.
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