Dani Soares from Below Deck Sailing Yacht gave birth to her daughter in May 2021 and has been open about her journey as a single parent. Viewers will remember that Dani starred on Sailing Yacht season 2 as a second stew and worked under chief stew Daisy Kelliher. Originally from Brazil, Dani traveled the globe working as a stewardess in the yachting industry. Fans loved Dani for her positive, laid-back attitude on BDSY but Dani struggled later on in the season when she became a bit homesick.
Deckhand Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux and Dani developed a very close relationship during their season together. Dani even hinted at wanting to settle down and have children with him. After the season ended, Dani announced that she was pregnant. Fans speculated that Jean-Luc was the father, but Dani didn’t say who it was at the time. During the BDSY reunion, Dani revealed that Jean-Luc was the father. She shared that he denied being the father and wanted nothing to do with the baby. After Lilly was born, Jean-Luc asked for a paternity test. Eventually, the test confirmed that he was indeed the father and Jean-Luc embraced his role as the father of their daughter.
Dani has shared that being a single parent is not easy. Even though Jean-Luc accepted that he was Lilly's father, he lives in the US while Dani lives in Australia. In a recent Instagram story, Dani reached out to fans asking for help to get discounted flight tickets for her mom to visit. She explained that one of her friends who owned a travel agency was supposed to help her get a cheap flight for her mom, but the plans fell through. During her early days of parenthood, Dani admitted that the hardest part of raising Lilly was not having time to herself. She advised new moms to have a support system and make sure to have as much help as possible.
Last Christmas, Dani and her daughter caught COVID-19 and shared how difficult it was. She explained how Lilly caught the virus from childcare and passed it onto her. The recovery was painful for both of them and Dani shared how Lilly wanted to be held constantly. Both mother and daughter made it through a hard time, but balancing her home life while working and studying was a challenge. Dani is working as a beauty therapist and studying to be a nurse, all the while taking care of Lilly by herself.
Dani credits having friends like fellow Below Deck Sailing Yacht co-star Alli Dore as someone that helped her through motherhood. In fact, Alli offered to have Dani stay at her grandparents’ farm in Australia while she was pregnant. Alli joined Dani in motherhood after she welcomed her son River George Thompson on August 2021 with her boyfriend Benny Thompson. Although Dani and Jean-Luc are on opposite ends of the world, he has shared that he and Dani have been working to communicate as best as they can for the sake of their daughter.
Source: Dani Soares/Instagram