Nursing influencer Hailey Okula dies due to 'complications from childbirth' shortly after longed-for son was born

Matthew Okula shared the news on his wife Hailey's sudden death on her Instagram page.

Taking to his late spouse’s Instagram page, he shared a montage of images including baby scan photos,their son Crew, hospital visits, and other milestones they had shared together.

In the caption, he wrote: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share the devastating news of the unexpected passing of my beautiful wife, Hailey Marie Okula, due to complications from childbirth. 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."

Paying tribute to his partner of more than a decade, he went on: "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 was ER nurse and had 420, 000 followers on Instagram, where she was known simply as nurse Hailey. She had launched her RN New Grads program in 2019 to support newly graduated nurses. On the website it states that it offers "educational resources, interview help.”

She had been very open about "dealing with infertility for almost two years”, but then in September she announced the "indescribable" news that she was pregnant. She went on to share lots of updates about her pregnancy with her fans in the months which followed as she excitedly waited for her first child’s birth.

On Saturday, (March 29), Hailey died during the delivery of the little boy. She went cardiac arrest minutes after giving birth to Crew, as reported by Fox 11 Los Angeles.

In Tuesday's post, Matthew went on: "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.

Speaking further about their IVF journey, he added: "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, apologising 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."

Matthew, who works for the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), continued: "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."

The LAFD was among the many paying tribute to Hailey on Instagram, writing alongside a wedding photo of the couple a representative wrote that they were "working to support Engineer Okula and his newborn, Crew, during this unimaginably difficult time."

Matthew told the station in a clip shared by the LAFD: "She wanted to be mom so incredibly bad," while holding their newborn son on his lap.

A description on a GoFundMe page set up to help Matthew and baby Crew read: "On what should have been the happiest day of their lives, Firefighter Matt Okula experienced the unimaginable."

They faced every challenge together, determined to build the family they had dreamed of for so long. But in an instant, that dream was shattered," the page continued, adding that Matthew was now preparing to "navigate life as a single father while grieving the love of his life."

"Matt is not one to ask for help - but those who know him, especially his brothers and sisters in the fire service, know the kind of man he is. A man who has dedicated his life to protecting others. Now, it's our turn to protect him.”

The GoFundMe had raised almost $242,000 as of the afternoon of Thursday April 3.