Elyse Opened Up About Her Sister's Death On 'The Bachelor'

Three weeks in, Colton Underwood is finally getting to know his contestants better, even if that comes with hearing some pretty heartbreaking stories. During their one-on-one date on Monday night's episode, Elyse told Colton about her sister's death on The Bachelor, and even though it was obviously difficult for her to talk about, it seemed to bring them closer together.

Their date started out really light and fun — they took a helicopter to San Diego, where they spent the day at an amusement park with children who suffer from serious disabilities and illnesses, much like the ones who Colton helps with the charity he started in honor of his cousin, who suffers from cystic fibrosis. He noticed that Elyse was especially compassionate toward the children they were with, when they sat down to dinner he found out why. As it turns out, Elyse has had her own experience with life threatening illnesses in her family, and from what she said on the show, it seems like it changed her perspective on life.

As Elyse said when she and Colton were able to talk in private, her sister found out she had cancer while she was pregnant with her second child and carried the baby to term before getting treatment. Although she was able to welcome her daughter, Drew, she later passed away. This inspired Elyse's family to start Sarah's Closet, an organization that helps children and babies in need with clothing and supplies.

According to a story on Elyse's sister, Sarah Sleger, that was published in the Anchorage Daily News in 2013, Sarah was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer, and her diagnosis caused people to send her more baby clothing and other items than she knew what to do with. Sarah made up gift bags for mothers in need with the extra clothing she had on hand, and that's how her charity was born.

Not only did Elyse's story resonate with Colton, but it also seemed to resonate with fans as well. Being that we're only three weeks into The Bachelor, it makes sense that Colton and the fans haven't had the chance to get to know many of the contestants very well. But now that Elyse has opened up about something so major in her personal life, people are really starting to root for her. Despite the fact that Elyse's story is obviously really sad for her and her entire family, she still stayed so positive about the fact that now, her niece is in the world, and she and her family get to help people who truly need it.

It's hard to say what Colton's future with Elyse will be this early on, but so far, they're really started to bond over something important. Now that Elyse has a rose, she's secure on the show — at least for another week, anyway — so it seems like Colton (and Bachelor fans) will have another chance to get to know her even better as the season progresses.