Hailey Okula, a well-known nurse influencer who documented her journey through infertility and nursing education, died on March 29 following complications shortly after giving birth to her first child. Her husband, Matthew Okula, confirmed her death on Instagram.
Okula, who had over 425,000 followers on Instagram under the handle @rnnewgrads, shared her experiences as an emergency room nurse. Her death occurred just moments after her son, Crew, was delivered via cesarean section.
Who Was Nurse Hailey?
Hailey Okula, 33, was known online as “Nurse Hailey,” and rose to prominence through her candid posts about nursing, infertility, and in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
She started the RN New Grads program in 2019 to support newly graduated nurses with resources ranging from interview preparation to educational content. Her inspiration for the program stemmed from a lack of resources when she was a new graduate.
According to her biography, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in digital media and then went to nursing school. She graduated with an Associate of Science in Nursing in June 2019 and started her first job in January 2020 while finishing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, which she got later that year.
“Words cannot convey the depth of the loss I feel,” her husband, a Los Angeles firefighter, wrote on Instagram on April 1.
“Hailey was more than I could have ever dreamed of in a wife and partner. 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.”
The couple had endured a struggle with infertility before conceiving Crew through IVF. Hailey publicly shared the news of her pregnancy in September 2024, posting regular updates with her husband in anticipation of their son’s arrival.
What Happened to Hailey Okula?
Hailey suffered cardiac arrest caused by an amniotic fluid embolism shortly after her son was born.
In an interview with Fox 11 Los Angeles, Matthew said the couple shared a tender moment right after their son’s birth: they laughed slightly, and Hailey shed a tear. He briefly left the room as the doctors went to clean her up.
“A minute later, the doctor comes in and lets me know that they’re doing CPR on her,” he told Fox 11. “I’m making the decision, am I going to the ICU with my wife or am I staying with my newborn, little baby—not a decision we thought I would be making.”
What Is an Amniotic Fluid Embolism?
An amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) is a rare but often fatal complication that occurs when amniotic fluid or fetal material enters the mother’s bloodstream, triggering a severe allergic reaction. This can lead to sudden cardiovascular collapse and cardiac arrest, as it did in Okula’s case.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, although amniotic fluid entering the mother’s blood is normal during childbirth, the rare response involves the maternal immune system overreacting to this presence. In addition to heart and lung failure, patients may experience uncontrollable bleeding from the uterus or surgical incision site.
“There’s no treatment. There’s no way of diagnosing it,” Matthew said of the complication.
How Common Is an Amniotic Fluid Embolism?
The Amniotic Fluid Embolism Foundation estimates that AFE affects about 1 in every 40,000 deliveries in the U.S. With roughly 4 million births annually, approximately 100 women may experience the condition each year. Survivability varies, with published rates ranging from 20 to 60 percent.
A GoFundMe page launched to support Matthew Okula and newborn Crew had already raised over $292,000 as of Thursday evening.
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