Model and swimwear designer Sahara Ray has died at 34, her family confirmed. She passed away Sunday, October 18, surrounded by family at a hospital, and no official cause of death has been released. Ray, who was born in Australia and raised in California, launched her own line, Sahara Ray Swim, and had been open about her 2024 diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left her paralyzed from the upper thighs to her feet.
Her mother, Gretchen Gia Bach, shared a tearful tribute on Instagram Stories from an Airbnb in Los Angeles, wearing her daughter’s clothes while reading messages from loved ones. Bach is asking friends and family to send photos, stories and letters, all to preserve for Ray’s baby daughter, Snow, who was born in January. Ray’s younger sister Ruby also posted a tribute.
Ray previously wrote about her health battle with striking honesty, saying her whole life changed in an instant and that attitude is everything. Now her family is focused on making sure Snow grows up knowing exactly who her mom was. What’s one memory of someone you’ve lost that you’d want a child to hear someday?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.