Former Bachelor contestant Sarah Herron shared the heartbreaking news on Wednesday night that she had welcomed a baby boy with her fiancé Dylan Brown, only to lose the child shortly after he was born.
‘On January 28, at 24 weeks, our beautiful son Oliver Brown was born. He passed away in his father’s arms shortly thereafter,’ Herron wrote in a moving Instagram post that chronicled the joys and sorrows of their brief time with their son.
“There are no words to describe the magnitude of the loss and pain that we are experiencing,” she continued. “It’s beautiful and at the same time tragic. He had my nose, his mouth and his father’s long fingers.
“Oliver, our IVF miracle defied so many odds and went through so many difficult stages to be here, but the higher powers still had other plans for the three of us,” Herron wrote.
“Our time together was short, but we are grateful for the days we spent with Oliver in my womb.”
Family tragedy: Bachelor Nation star Sarah Herron revealed on Wednesday that her baby, Oliver Brown, died shortly after being born on January 28, when he was just 24 weeks old
Heartbreaking: ‘There are no words for the magnitude of the loss and pain we are experiencing,’ she continued. “It’s beautiful and at the same time tragic. He had my nose and his father’s mouth and his long fingers
She continued, “He taught us so much about the integrity of life, love and death. Oliver has filled our home and our hearts with so much love and, above all, optimism. The stars have aligned to create Baby Oliver with a deep and meaningful purpose greater than we will ever comprehend. His body was small, but his legacy will always be larger than life for us.
She made it clear that little Oliver was a constant companion on her adventures during their time together.
“Oliver swam with sea turtles, he kept me company while I recovered from a broken knee, and he loved his dad’s cooking. Above all, Oliver loved his heart-to-heart morning routine with his brother. , Rio, on my lap,’ she wrote, referring to the family dog.
Among her photos was a black and white image of Sarah looking at peace as Dylan, who is a filmmaker, kissed her forehead while Oliver rested on her chest.
But she had a look of agony in another color photo as she lay back in her hospital bed, while Dylan kissed her forehead again and cradled her face in his hands.
The former Bachelor In Paradise contestant looked back fondly as she showed off her booming belly in a vintage mirror selfie.
She also beamed as she showed off her usual morning routine with Oliver, with Rio sitting on her lap as she lounged under a blanket.
Another image showed a majestic sea turtle she was swimming with while Oliver was still there for the ride.
“As our hearts are broken beyond comprehension, we take comfort in knowing that our son’s soul has never known anything but love and will not suffer in a body that was not built for this life,” Sarah added in her caption.
Together: She shared photos from the hospital, including a peaceful one showing her fiancé Dylan Brown kissing her while Oliver lay on his chest
Hopeful: The former Bachelor In Paradise contestant looked back fondly as she showed off her booming belly in an old mirror selfie
Sweet: Above all, Oliver loved his heart-to-heart morning routine with his brother, Rio, on my lap,’ she wrote, referring to the family dog
Together on an adventure: She included a shot of a majestic sea turtle, because “Oliver swam with sea turtles”
“We will never understand the cruelty of it all, but through the darkness Oliver remains so brilliant. We love you so much, little boy. You will never be replaced. You guys are so perfect and awesome,” she concluded, signing off for herself and Dylan as “mommy and daddy.”
Sarah enjoyed a walk on the beach in a photo as she cradled her baby with her arm.
A previous photo showed her with Dylan beaming from ear to ear, with the filmmaker placing his hand on her stomach barely there.
She also included a photo of a Christmas decoration of a happy sea turtle on a red surfboard, with “Oliver 2022” written on it.
Sarah, who underwent IVF treatments to help her conceive Oliver, announced that she and Dylan – who she got engaged to in May 2021 – were expecting their first child together in September 2022.
She wasn’t shy about sharing the details of her treatments with her fans on social media, and that openness was why she was willing to share the news of her pregnancy relatively early, rather than wait.
“I know many families prefer to keep the pregnancy private until after the first trimester, but I’ve shared the entire fertility journey from day one,” she told Us Weekly. “One of the blessings of IVF is the support I got from being transparent about this process.”
Comforted: “As our hearts are broken beyond comprehension, we are comforted to know that our son’s soul has never known anything but love and will not suffer in a body that has not been built for this life,” Sarah added in her caption.
Memories: “We’ll never understand the cruelty of it all, but through the darkness Oliver remains so shining.” She shared a photo of a Christmas decoration commemorating the aquatic adventures of her and her late son
Family: Sarah, who underwent IVF treatments to help her conceive Oliver, announced that she and Dylan – who she got engaged to in May 2021 – were expecting their first child together in September 2022