Sarah Herron of “The Bachelor” gave birth to son Oliver with fiancé Dylan Brown on Jan. 28 when she was 24 weeks pregnant. Tragically, Oliver “passed away in his dad’s arms shortly after.”
Herron shared her heartbreak via Instagram on Feb 1. “There are no words for the magnitude of loss and pain we’re experiencing,” she wrote in the caption. “It’s beautiful and simultaneously tragic. He had my nose and his dad’s mouth and long fingers.”
Herron described their “beautiful son” as an “IVF miracle” who had already fought “many hard milestones” before being born. “He has taught us so much about the integrity of life, love and death,” she added. “Oliver filled our home and hearts with so much love and most importantly, optimism. The stars aligned to create Baby Oliver with a deep, meaningful purpose bigger than we’ll ever understand. His body was small, but his legacy will always be larger than life to us.”
She noted the memories she’ll cherish, including their simple morning routine with her dog, Rio (aka Oliver’s “brother”). “Our time together was short, but we are grateful for the days we had with Oliver in my belly,” she said, referencing the time “Oliver swam with sea turtles” and when he “kept me company while I recovered from a broken knee.” She added, “Most of all, Oliver loved his morning routine of laying heart to heart with his brother, Rio, on my lap.”
Chris Harrison and others from the Bachelor franchise shared their condolences in the comments. “God bless you all Sarah,” Harrison wrote. “We love you.” Clare Crawley added, “Sarah you are the most amazing mother and your strength through to everything to fight so hard for your son has been nothing less than beautiful to witness.”
Herron, 36, included a black and white photo of Oliver lying on her chest with her husband kissing her forehead. “While our hearts are shattered beyond comprehension, we are comforted knowing that our son’s soul only ever knew love and will not suffer in a body that wasn’t built for this life,” she said. “We’ll never understand the cruelty of it all, but through the darkness, Oliver remains so so bright. We love you so much, baby boy. You will never be replaced.”