"There are no words for the magnitude of loss and pain we're experiencing. It's beautiful and simultaneously tragic," she wrote.
At 24 weeks pregnant, Sarah Herron gave birth to a son who tragically passed away soon after the birth. The 36-year-old Bachelor alum announced the passing of her newborn child in a devastating Instagram post on February 1. "On January 28th, at 24 weeks old, our beautiful son Oliver Brown was born," she began in the caption, adding, "He passed away in his dad's arms shortly after."
Herron posted an emotional snapshot of herself cradling her child on her chest while her fiancé, Dylan Brown, kisses her forehead, his hand resting next to Herron's. Her carousel of photos featured priceless scenes from her pregnancy, including going to the beach, swimming with sea turtles, and snuggling with her puppy. An image of Brown kissing Herron's forehead while she grows on a hospital bed concludes the carousel. "There are no words for the magnitude of loss and pain we're experiencing. It's beautiful and simultaneously tragic," she wrote. Sharing some physical characteristics of baby Oliver, Herron said, "He had my nose and his dad's mouth and long fingers."
"Oliver, 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 the three of us," The Colorado native, who appeared on Season 17 of The Bachelor in 2013, said. Herron shared that even though her pregnancy with Oliver was "short," she is "grateful" for the time they had together.
"He has taught us so much about the integrity of life, love, and death. Oliver filled our home and hearts with so much love and most importantly, optimism," she wrote. "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."
Reminiscing about some of her favorite moments from her pregnancy with baby Oliver, she wrote, "Oliver swam with sea turtles, he kept me company while I recovered from a broken knee, and he loved his dad's cooking. Most of all, Oliver loved his morning routine of laying heart-to-heart with his brother, Rio, on my lap."
Herron went on to say, "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 then concluded the post with the message, "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. You are so perfect and awesome," signing it off as "Mommy and Daddy."
After revealing the passing of their baby Oliver, Sarah Herron and her fiancé Dylan Brown received an outpouring of love from the Bachelor Nation audience, per US Weekly. Clare Crawley, the season 16 Bachelorette wrote, "Oliver you are so loved ❤️ Sarah you are the most amazing mother and your strength through everything to fight so hard for your son has been nothing less than beautiful to witness."
References:
https://people.com/parents/sarah-herrons-baby-dies-after-being-born-premature/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CoI_3fHrOgZ/
Cover Image Source: Instagram | @sarahherron
