Unexpected alum Hailey Tilford — known to fans of the reality series as “Hailey 2” — is asking fans for help in paying for her fiancé to reverse his vasectomy.
“This is probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever posted, and honestly, I’ve gone back and forth on it because I know not everyone is going to understand,” Tilford, 25, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, August 5. “I know there will probably be judgment, and that scares me. But if I never put it out there, I’ll always wonder, ‘what if?’”
Tilford explained that before she met her fiancé, Zak, he “had a vasectomy during a different chapter of his life.”
“At the time, it was the right decision for him,” she continued. “When we met, fell in love, got engaged and started building a life together. Somewhere along the way, we realized we both shared the same dream — to have a baby together. The only way that’s possible for us is through a vasectomy reversal, and unfortunately, it’s something our insurance doesn’t cover. It’s a huge expense, and after going back and forth for a long time, we decided to make a GoFundMe.”
Tilford added that it wasn’t “easy” to ask for help and encouraged readers to simply share the GoFundMe page if they can’t donate.
“If this isn’t something you agree with, I completely respect that. I just ask that you be kind. ❤️,” she concluded. “Thank you to everyone who’s supported us, prayed for us, and continues to cheer us on. We appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.”
The GoFundMe page, titled “A Second Chance at Growing Our Family,” has raised $147 out of $7,900 at the time of publication.
In the page’s description, Tilford added that “watching Zak be a father has been one of the greatest joys of my life.” (Zak has two children from a previous relationship, while Tilford shares son Levi with ex Matthew Blevins.)
“Seeing the love, patience, and care he gives not only his children but Levi too has made me admire him even more,” Tilford wrote. “We would love the chance to experience that journey together and welcome a little one who is a part of both of us.”
Tilford appeared to disable comments on her Instagram page after she received backlash for the GoFundMe page. She then shared a follow-up post slamming her critics.
“Vulnerability feels brave until it’s used against you,” the post read.
In the caption, Tilford added, “To everyone commenting encouraging comments … thank you. To all the people commenting negative things and sending me horrible messages, I will just honestly pray for you. You simply can scroll past my posts, you don’t have to look at my stuff.”
She continued, “It took a lot for me to share this and you all make it even worse. Zak and I are AMAZING parents. Our kids are very well taken care of and the fact you all think we couldn’t afford to raise another child is sad. There is a huge difference between raising a child and needing almost $8000 upfront.”
Tilford added that she is “saving up money every chance I get” and has “cut back on things.”
“Zak and I do work, so all the negative comments are just not needed, but thank you for commenting them anyways,” she concluded. “You all yet again are only judging me because of a TV show I was on when I was 17. I’m done with that being the only thing you all hold over my head. At the end of the day, I am human. Sorry that you all feel the need to drag me down every chance you get.”
Tilford rose to fame on Unexpected season 3 in 2019, where she famously began dating and had a child with Blevins, the ex-boyfriend of her former best friend, Hailey Tomlinson, a.k.a. “Hailey 1.” Blevins also has a child with Tomlinson.
