What Happened to "Nurse Hailey" Okula? The 33-Year-Old Medical Influencer Has Died

Becoming a mom is one of those things that some people dream of their whole lives. For Hailey Okula, affectionately known online to her fans as "Nurse Hailey," this is a dream she pursued for years with her first-responder husband, Matt Okula.

The two were making the dream work: Hailey, as a registered nurse (RN), was making content online for nearly 1 million followers across all platforms. And Matt was saving lives as one of the responders on the frontline at the infamous Palisades Fire in California.

Yet the moment of their greatest triumph turned to tragedy and heartbreak in an instant, leaving Hailey's family, friends, and fandom reeling.

Here's what we know about what happened to Nurse Hailey and how the world has reacted to the influencer and nurse's staggering loss.

If you visit Hailey's Instagram page, a few things jump right out at you. She spent her days creating content to help those in nursing school and new grads tend to their patients, and she was proudly counting down the days to welcoming her long-awaited baby with husband Matt.

But in March of 2025, Matt would see his dreams come true and then instantly be shattered.

The grieving husband took to social media to post on Hailey's account, "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. 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." He added, "She was my everything."

In an interview with Fox 11, a devastated Matt sat before the camera while holding his dog and the couple's newborn son, Crew, as he shared that Hailey had died from an extraordinarily rare childbirth complication known as an amniotic embolism.

According to Cleveland Clinic, an amniotic embolism is when amniotic fluid, the fluid that surrounds a baby in the womb, enters the mother's bloodstream. It's very rare, very quick, and very fatal with a death rate as high as 60% even with immediate intervention.

It was the most horrible twist of irony that Hailey's happiest moments would also be her last. According to Matt, she was able to see their son briefly before the unthinkable happened. Matt recounted tending to his newborn, thinking all was right, when suddenly the doctors informed him that something had gone horribly wrong. They did all they could, but Hailey passed moments after welcoming their son via c-section delivery.

Hailey's fans took to social media to share their devastation and grief. As a leader in the nursing community, Hailey helped many people struggle their way through nursing school and then learn to be the best nurse possible for their new patients.

She sold flashcards intended to make things easier and more accessible for new grads and made videos offering advice on how to handle emergency situations and complex problems.

On Instagram, one fan wrote, "I’ve been following her nursing content for so long, I’m so shaken by this." Another said, "We need to talk about these complications more," with another fan agreeing and writing, "This should not be happening. We need more money and time invested in understanding women’s health, especially in postpartum. We should not be dying in childbirth."

A GoFundMe was organized on Matt's behalf, hoping to help the new father deal with the staggering aftermath of losing his wife, partner, and the mother of his newborn son. At the time this article was published, fans had raised over $276K to help Matt and his son grapple with their unthinkable situation.

When concluding his message about Hailey's death, Matt wrote on Instagram, "Rest in peace, my love. You were everything and more. Always and forever."