Hailey Okula, known to many as Nurse Hailey, captured the hearts of her social media followers with her raw and inspiring journey through infertility and her eventual pregnancy.
Tragically, Hailey passed away shortly after the birth of her beloved son, leaving her supporters and family devastated by the loss.
Cardiac Arrest After Delivery
Discussing infertility can be an emotional and difficult subject for many, often filled with feelings of shame or inadequacy.
Hailey Okula was all too familiar with these struggles, having bravely shared her personal two-year fight with infertility and the rollercoaster experience of undergoing IVF. Her openness provided strength to countless others, helping to break the silence and encouraging others to share their own experiences.
With a large following of over 425,000 on Instagram, Hailey shared her deeply personal struggles and the emotional ups and downs of IVF. Sadly, she will never get the chance to watch her son grow up.
Hailey passed away on March 29 after going into cardiac arrest following the birth of her son.
Her husband, Matthew Okula, confirmed the heartbreaking news on April 1 through an emotional post on Instagram.
“It is with the heaviest heart that I share the devastating news of my beautiful wife, Hailey Marie Okula’s unexpected passing due to complications from childbirth,” Matthew wrote. “Words can’t express how much I’ve lost. Hailey was everything I could have ever hoped for in a wife. She was beautiful, intelligent, hardworking, passionate, trustworthy, and above all, fiercely loyal.”
Matthew went on to reflect on Hailey’s strength, particularly during their battle with infertility:
“For nearly 13 years, she stood by me through the hardest times, loving me unconditionally, even when I didn’t feel worthy of that love. She was my everything.”
The Difficult IVF Journey
Matthew shared the emotional experience they went through, particularly with IVF: “Hailey’s strength was unmatched. Words can’t express how much we wanted to become parents. After years of infertility struggles and a long, difficult IVF process, we were overjoyed to finally be expecting Crew. Hailey faced every obstacle with so much love and bravery—despite the toll it took on her body, she never gave up.”
He recalled a particularly emotional moment during their journey:
“I’ll never forget when I broke down, apologizing for what the process was doing to her. She held my face, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘We’re a team. We’ll get through this together.’ That was Hailey. A fighter. A teammate. A woman who would do anything for those she loved.”
In September, Hailey shared the joyous news that she and her husband, Matt Okula, a firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department, were finally expecting after nearly two years of struggling with infertility.
A Joyful Moment with Her Son
On September 16, Hailey took to Instagram to express her excitement, calling the moment “indescribable.” In her heartfelt post, she wrote, “I’m not going to go into too much detail, but this journey has been difficult, yet incredibly rewarding.”
Their son, Crew, was born on March 29 via C-section, according to KTTV. Hailey had a brief but precious moment with her son, commenting on his size, saying, “Wow, he’s big!”
Though Hailey’s time with her son was tragically cut short, Matthew spoke of her unwavering love for Crew:
“Although her time with us was far too short, Hailey’s love for Crew was limitless, long before he even entered this world. She would have been the most amazing mom. Her spirit, courage, and love will live on in our son and in everyone whose lives she touched.”
Hailey’s Cause of Death
In an interview with KTTV, Matt revealed that Hailey passed away due to a rare and life-threatening condition called amniotic fluid embolism (AFE), which occurred shortly after the birth of their son. AFE occurs when amniotic fluid enters a woman’s bloodstream just before, during, or immediately after childbirth.
Amniotic fluid embolism is an uncommon condition, affecting about 1 in 40,000 deliveries in the U.S. It is the second leading cause of maternal death related to childbirth and is the top cause of heart attacks following delivery. Sadly, approximately 60% of women who experience AFE do not survive.
Just two minutes after delivering Crew, Hailey told the nurses she wasn’t feeling well before going into cardiac arrest.
Matthew recalled the terrifying moment: “A minute later, the doctor came in and told me they were performing CPR on her.”
He was then faced with an unimaginable choice: “Do I go to the ICU with my wife or stay with our newborn baby?” Reflecting on that agonizing decision, Matthew added, “It’s not a decision I ever thought I’d have to make,” emphasizing how much Hailey had wanted to be a mother.
Matt, who had recently been involved in the Palisades Fire, also shared a touching memory of the brief time Hailey spent with their son: “She saw him for just a split second, and I will always remember that moment.”
Grief from Followers and Fans
Hailey’s followers, who had been closely following her fertility journey, were devastated by the news of her death. With hundreds of thousands of fans on Instagram and over 200,000 followers on TikTok, many expressed their condolences, sharing how Hailey’s honesty had helped them with their own fertility struggles.
“I’m heartbroken. Sending all the love to you and your family,” one follower wrote.
“This has shattered so many of us. The impact Hailey made in everyone’s life is undeniable. We love you so much, Hailsyeahhh, and we’ll continue to love baby Crew and Matt. Until we meet again, crazy girl,” another shared.
Others expressed similar sentiments: “I’m so very sorry. Hailey made such a huge impact on the nursing community and will never be forgotten.”
“Hailey was an inspiration to so many, especially within the nursing community. I’m heartbroken by this news. May she Rest In Peace, and may you and your family find strength during this time.”
A GoFundMe page has been created to help support Matthew Okula as he starts his new life with baby Crew, but without his wife.
The page reads: “On what should have been the happiest day of their lives, Firefighter Matt Okula experienced the unimaginable.”
Hailey Okula’s legacy as a nurse, infertility advocate, and social media influencer will continue to inspire many, even though her life was tragically cut short.