Hailey Okula, a popular nursing influencer, has passed away at 33 after giving birth to her first child.
Her husband, Matthew Okula, announced the devastating news on the content creator’s Instagram on Tuesday, revealing she died from “complications from childbirth.” Speaking to Fox 11 Los Angeles, he further explained that just two minutes after they welcomed their son, Crew on Saturday, via caesarean section, Hailey told him she didn’t feel good. She quickly went into cardiac arrest. Doctors tried everything they could, but she didn’t make it.
According to Matthew, she suffered from a “very rare” pregnancy complication called amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). The National Library of Medicine says it is caused by “amniotic fluid, fetal cells, hair, or other debris” entering the “maternal pulmonary circulation, causing cardiovascular collapse.” Healthline adds that although rare, AFE is the “second most common cause of peripartum maternal death and the leading cause of peripartum heart attack” in the country, with only an 83% survival rate. Symptoms tend to come on suddenly and can’t be treated in time to save the mother. Sadly, this is what happened to Hailey.
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What makes this story even more tragic is that Matthew said she only got to see her baby boy for a “split second” before she died. She had spent two years struggling to get pregnant and barely got the chance to be with her son — and now never will again. It’s incredibly heartbreaking.
For those who don’t know, Hailey was an ER nurse known as “Nurse Hailey” to fans online. She launched her RN New Grads program in 2019 to help support newly graduated nurses through “educational resources, interview help,” and more. Beyond giving tips and tricks for nurses through videos, she also got personal with her followers…
For years, she shared her struggles with infertility and IVF. In September, she revealed the “indescribable” news that she was expecting and went on to document her pregnancy journey along with Matthew.
@rnnewgrads Wow, what a journey it has been. Dealing with infertility for almost 2 years and finally being able to say that we are pregnant is indescribable. Without going too much into detail about my journey from my infertility problems, to my husband‘s infertility problems, to us having to create a special probe because we both carry the same genetic disease, lotsssss of meds and lots of money, the journey has been hard, but so worth it. If you would like me to share more of my story I will have no problem sharing. I realize this is not always the outcome for people that have to go through IVF so I am so grateful and blessed that our first transfer stuck. I remember watching church one day with the message of “God knows, you don’t” and nothing has helped me more throughout this process. So happy to finally be able to share this piece of my life with my TikTok fam! Can you guess the gender?!????????????
Hailey was truly beloved — most of all, of course, by her husband. That’s clear from the emotional tribute he wrote for Hailey on her account Tuesday. He expressed:
“Words cannot convey the depth of the loss I feel. Hailey was more than I could have ever dreamed of in a wife and partner. She was gorgeous, smart, hardworking, passionate, trustworthy, and above all else, unbelievably loyal. For nearly 13 years, she stood by my side in the hardest of times, loving me endlessly, even when I felt undeserving of that love. She was my everything. Hailey’s strength was unparalleled. Words can’t describe how badly we wanted to be parents. After years of infertility struggles and a long, challenging IVF process, we were overjoyed to be expecting Crew.”
Matthew continued:
“Hailey faced every hurdle with so much courage and love—even though her body went through so much, she never wavered. I will never forget the moment I broke down, apologizing for the toll the process would take on her. She held my face, looked into my eyes, and said, ‘We are a team, and we’ll get through this together.’ That was Hailey. A fighter. A teammate. A woman who would do anything for the people she loved.”
And that same spirit, he vowed, will live on with their son:
“Though her time with us was tragically cut short, Hailey’s love for Crew was limitless, long before he entered this world. She would have been the most amazing mom. Her spirit, courage, and love will live on in our son, and through everyone whose lives she touched.”
Matthew then asked fans to continue to share the content she made as it was her greatest passion in life to help all nurses and healthcare workers:
“Hailey always loved the community she built, and it fulfilled such a huge dream of hers to be a successful, self-made entrepreneur. Please continue to follow and share her content to help keep her passion for educating nurses and healthcare workers alive. You all made such an incredible impact on her life, and for that, I’ll always be grateful. Hailey’s legacy goes beyond the work she did or the aspirations she carried. Her kindness and dedication to helping others left a mark on everyone she met. While we are keeping certain details private for now, we are grateful for those who have reached out in love and support during this unimaginable time.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help Matthew and baby Crew. You can see it HERE. And see his tribute, which features a picture of their newborn child (below):
Our hearts go out to Matthew and Crew during this incredibly difficult time. Rest in peace, Hailey. You will be so missed…
[Image via Hailey Okula/TikTok]
