There's been a heartbreaking development in former Bachelor contestant Sarah Herron and fiancé Dylan Brown's journey to becoming parents. Sarah announced on Wednesday that the pair had welcomed their baby into the world months ahead of schedule, with Sarah delivering the little boy at just 24 weeks' gestation. Sadly, her son did not survive.
TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains information about stillbirth and infant loss, which may be triggering to some.
Sarah shared the devastating news on Instagram
She posted a black-and-white photo of her and Dylan saying goodbye to their tiny baby, who was conceived via IVF.
"On January 28, at 24 weeks old, our beautiful son Oliver Brown was born. He passed away in his dad's arms shortly after," Sarah wrote in part. "There are no words for the magnitude of loss and pain we're experiencing. It's beautiful and simultaneously tragic. He had my nose and his dad's mouth and long fingers."
She called her son a 'miracle' in her touching tribute
"Our IVF miracle defied so many odds and fought through so many hard milestones to be here, but the higher powers still had other plans for us," she wrote, reflecting on the brief time the family of three spent with each other.
"Our time together was short, but we are grateful for the days we had with Oliver in my belly," she wrote. "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."
While their time together was short, Sarah said she'll cherish her pregnancy memories
She shared that she was able to swim with sea turtles, relax with Oliver in her belly while she recovered from a broken knee, and enjoy the moment when the couple's dog, Rio, appeared to snuggle up against her growing baby bump so that the two "boys" could lie "heart to heart."
Her post included a clip of her swimming in the ocean.
The bereaved mom said she's finding comfort in knowing her son didn't suffer
It's hard to imagine the magnitude of this loss for both Sarah and Dylan, but it seems that for now, Sarah is choosing to view her son's death in a positive light. "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," her post continued.
Fellow 'Bachelor' nation members have rallied around Sarah and Dylan
It seems like the couple has a very good support system right now, which includes some of Sarah's former costars, among them Katie Thurston and former host Chris Harrison.
Our thoughts are with Sarah and Dylan as they are forced to grapple with the unimaginable loss of their little boy. But as Sarah wrote in her post, we're sure Oliver's legacy will live on.
