Influencer Hailey Okula has tragically died aged 33.
Okula was an ER nurse known online as Nurse Hailey, with a following of nearly one million.
The 33-year-old amassed a loyal following as she documented her life as an ER nurse and shared vulnerable content about her infertility and journey with in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Okula founded RN New Grads in 2019 to support newly graduated nurses, providing information about finding work and starting a nursing career.
After hearing the devastating news of the 33-year-old’s passing, tributes are pouring in from fans.
One follower expressed: “I’m heartbroken. Sending all my love to you and your family.”
Another shared: “She was my nurse during one of my hardest hospitalizations. I’ll always remember her kindness and how quickly she helped me.”
A third commented: “This has left so many of us devastated. The impact Hailey had on everyone’s life is clear. We love you so much.”
“Absolutely devastating,” a fourth replied. “She supported me and so many others through the challenges of nursing school. I’m so sorry!”
In September, Okula announced she was expecting her first child with her LAFD Firefighter husband Matthew: “Being able to say that we are pregnant is indescribable.
“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, lots of meds and lots of money, the journey has been hard but so worth it.”
Tragically, Matthew announced the death of his wife on Instagram.
The heartbreaking post reads: “With a heavy heart, I share the devastating news of the unexpected passing of my beautiful wife, Hailey Marie Okula.
“Words cannot begin to express the depth of my loss. Hailey was everything I could have ever dreamed of in a wife and partner. She was beautiful, intelligent, hardworking, passionate, trustworthy, and above all, unwaveringly loyal.
“For nearly 13 years, she stood by my side through the toughest times, loving me endlessly, even when I felt undeserving of that love. She was my everything.”
Okula suffered a cardiac arrest due to an amniotic fluid embolism shortly after giving birth to their son, Crew.
Amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare but life-threatening complication in which amniotic fluid, containing fetal cells and debris, enters the mother’s bloodstream, triggering a severe and often fatal reaction, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Matthew spoke with Fox 11 Los Angeles about the heartbreaking final moments with Okula.
He shared that they had a tender moment right after their son was born; they laughed together, and Okula shed a tear.
Matthew then stepped out of the room as the doctors went to clean her up.
“A minute later, the doctor came in and told me they were performing CPR on her,” Okula’s husband recalled. “I had to make the decision—do I go to the ICU with my wife, or stay with my newborn baby? It’s not a decision I ever imagined having to make.”
“There’s no treatment. There’s no way to diagnose it.”
Matthew shared on social media that while her life was tragically cut short, her love for their baby was “limitless,” and he believes she would have been the “most amazing mother.”
