The nursing community is mourning one of their own.
Hailey Okula, a nursing influencer known as @rnnewgrads, died late last month while giving birth to son Crew, her husband Matt Okula shared April 2. She was 33.
“It is with the heaviest of heart that I share the devastating news of the unexpected passing of my beautiful wife, Hailey Marie Okula, due to complications from childbirth,” Matt wrote in an Instagram post shared to his wife's account. “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."
Matt called his wife “gorgeous, smart, hardworking, passionate, trustworthy, and above all else, unbelievably loyal,” adding, “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."
While undergoing a c-section, Hailey suffered from amniotic fluid embolism—a rare cardiac complication when fluid enters a mother’s bloodstream in childbirth—and died just minutes after welcoming Crew.
“She gave her life in the most noble way,” Matt told Fox 11 Los Angeles. “She was able to see him for a split second and I’m always going to remember that.”
Hailey’s devastating death also comes after years of undergoing IVF treatment to become pregnant.
“Words can’t describe how badly we wanted to be parents,” Matt, a Los Angeles firefighter, also wrote in his Instagram tribute. “After years of infertility struggles and a long, challenging IVF process, we were overjoyed to be expecting Crew. Hailey faced every hurdle with so much courage and love—even though her body went through so much, she never wavered."
Indeed, Matt shared that after learning the couple would have to embark on an IVF journey, he “broke down,” worried about the physical toll it would take on his late wife.
“She held my face, looked into my eyes, and said, ‘We are a team, and we’ll get through this together,’” he recalled. “That was Hailey. A fighter. A teammate. A woman who would do anything for the people she loved.”
And that spirit will live on through their son.
“Though her time with us was tragically cut short, Hailey’s love for Crew was limitless, long before he entered this world,” he wrote. “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.”
Hailey’s spirit was evident in her posting. In 2020, she shared she had begun her platform to help and support aspiring nurses.
“She dreamed of helping new nurses thrive,” Matt wrote, “while also being present for our sweet Crew, building a life and legacy she was so proud of.”
Keep reading for a look back at Hailey and Matt's life together...
A Tropical Vacation
Hailey Okula and Matt Okula took their first trip to Tahiti together, and Hailey shared a highlight reel of their vacation, writing in a 2022 Instagram post, "A mini video of our first island in the French Polynesia."
Influencer Couple
Matt made a rare cameo in one of Hailey's @rnnewgrads videos, where she showed off stylish scrubs.
IVF Success
In September 2024, Hailey shared the exciting news that she and Matt were expecting after two years of IVF. As she wrote on Instagram, "the journey has been hard, but so worth it."
Pregnancy Journey
Hailey added in her September 2024 post, "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."
Baby Shower
Matt and Hailey celebrated their baby boy, Crew, with their family at a February baby shower. Hailey wrote in a post to Instagram, "Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect woodlands themed baby shower for our lil guy!"
Saying Goodbye
In April 2025, Matt shared that Hailey had died just minutes after welcoming Crew via c-section.
"Words cannot convey the depth of the loss I feel," he wrote in a post to Hailey's nursing account. "Hailey was more than I could have ever dreamed of in a wife and partner.”