Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
Community Mourns Loss of Nurse Influencer After Childbirth Complications
For nine months, followers on Instagram watched as Hailey Okula, known online as Nurse Hailey, balanced her professional life with the joy of anticipating her first child. Now, this same online community is uniting to support her husband and their newborn son following her untimely passing.
Sudden Demise Following Son’s Birth
Okula, an emergency room registered nurse and prominent figure on Instagram, passed away due to complications from childbirth shortly after the arrival of her son, Crew. The news was shared in a Tuesday update by her husband, Matthew Okula.
Matthew Okula’s moving announcement included a video montage celebrating their relationship and journey through pregnancy, featuring intimate moments such as his wife in labor.
“It is with the heaviest heart that I must convey the devastating news of the unexpected death of my beloved wife, Hailey Marie Okula,” the post expressed. “Words cannot capture the profound sense of loss I am experiencing. Hailey was more extraordinary than I could have ever imagined in a spouse and partner. She was beautiful, intelligent, diligent, dedicated, dependable, and, above all else, incredibly loyal. For almost 13 years, she remained by my side through the most challenging times, offering me boundless love, even when I doubted my worthiness. She was my everything.”
Advocacy for New Nurses and Openness on Fertility Journey
In 2019, Hailey Okula established RN New Grads, a platform aimed at assisting newly licensed nurses. It provided guidance on career opportunities and navigating the initial stages of a nursing career. Her RN New Grads Instagram account became a space for genuine connection as she openly shared her experiences during her pregnancy and the hurdles she and her husband encountered with infertility and IVF treatments. She cultivated a substantial online community, amassing over 400,000 followers.
“Being able to announce our pregnancy is truly unbelievable,” she shared in a September 2024 pregnancy announcement. “From my own fertility issues, to my husband’s fertility issues, to the necessity of creating a specialized probe due to our shared genetic condition, countless medications, and significant financial investment, the journey has been arduous, yet undeniably worthwhile.”
Husband’s Reflection on Wife’s Strength and Support
In the poignant post announcing her death, Matthew Okula highlighted Hailey’s resilience throughout their path to parenthood.
“Words cannot adequately express the depth of our desire to become parents,” he wrote. “After enduring years of infertility struggles and an extended, demanding IVF process, we were overwhelmed with joy upon learning we were expecting Crew. Hailey confronted each obstacle with immense bravery and affection — despite the immense physical demands on her body, she never faltered. I will forever remember the moment I broke down, apologizing for the strain the process was taking on her. She gently held my face, gazed into my eyes, and reassured me, ‘We are a team, and we will overcome this together.’ That was Hailey. A fighter. A teammate. A woman who would do anything for those she cherished.”
Community Support and Fundraiser
The Los Angeles Fire Department, Matthew Okula’s employer as an engineer, acknowledged Hailey Okula’s death, stating it “mourns the passing of Mrs. Okula.” The department also directed followers to the “Housewives of LAFD” Instagram account, which is organizing a fundraiser to support the grieving widower and their infant son.
Outpouring of Condolences from Online Followers
Numerous followers of Hailey Okula responded to the heartbreaking news of her death with messages of sincere sympathy and personal stories of how she positively impacted their lives.
Testimonials of Hailey’s Impact
- “She was my nurse during a very difficult hospitalization,” one user recounted. “I will always remember her compassion and prompt assistance.”
- “I am utterly shocked and heartbroken for your entire family. There are simply no words,” another commenter expressed. “Hailey was such a beacon of light within the nursing community. We corresponded throughout our pregnancies, and I am devastated by this news.”
- “I cannot believe this! She was so excited about becoming a new mother,” another user commented. “She even responded to my comment, expressing gratitude when I told her she was the best content creator for her ER skits…I WILL MISS HER!!!”