Nursing influencer Hailey Okula is survived by her husband, Matthew Okula, and their newborn son.
Hailey, a registered nurse in Los Angeles, died in March 2025 after complications during childbirth. She was 33.
“She had cardiac arrest. The doctors say it was from a very, very rare complication known as amniotic fluid embolism,” Matthew told Fox11LA four days later. “There’s no treatment, there’s no way of diagnosing it. It’s so sad to think of other people having to go through what I’m going through right now.”
Hailey announced her pregnancy in September 2024 after several years of infertility struggles and a successful IVF cycle.
Nursing influencer Hailey Okula had been candid about her pregnancy journey before her sudden death in childbirth. Hailey’s husband, Matthew Okula, confirmed in April 2025 that the registered nurse had died following “complications during childbirth.” Shortly before Hailey’s passing, she and Matthew welcomed their first baby, newborn son Crew. “Hailey’s strength was unparalleled. Words can’t […]
“Finally being able to say that we are pregnant is indescribable,” Hailey wrote via Instagram at the time. “Without going too much into detail about my journey from my infertility problems to my husband‘s infertility problems [or] 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.”
Through all the fertility ups and downs, Hailey had Matthew in his corner. Scroll down to learn more about her spouse:
Matthew Okula Is a Firefighter
Matthew is an engineer with the Los Angeles Fire Department, recently helping to extinguish January 2025 wildfires in Pasadena. The LAFD issued a statement following Hailey’s death.
“The Los Angeles City Fire Department grieves the loss [of] Mrs Okula and is grateful for the work of countless fire service members, including groups like @housewivesoflafd working to support Engineer Okula and his newborn, Crew, during this unimaginably difficult time,” an Instagram post read.
Hailey and Matthew Okula Were College Sweethearts
Hailey, a collegiate gymnast, met Matthew when he worked as an EMT. (According to her LinkedIn, she attended both Oregon State University and Boise State University, but it’s not known where she connected with the paramedic.)
Hailey and Matthew Okula Did IVF in 2024
After two years of consistent infertility struggles, the couple did a single cycle of IVF that ended up being successful.
“She wanted to be a mom, so incredibly bad. She never put it on me, and the reality is it’s my fertility issues,” Matthew recalled to Fox11 after Crew’s arrival. “We found out [at the time and] she grabbed me and said, ‘We’re a team. We’re getting through this together.’”
The pair revealed in September 2024 that they were expecting a baby boy.
Members of Hailey Okula’s community are coming together to support the late nursing influencer’s husband and newborn baby. A GoFundMe campaign launched for Hailey’s husband and son has raised more than $285,000 and posted an update on Thursday, April 3. “Thanks to your incredible support, Matt and Crew now have plenty of diapers, breast milk […]
When Did Hailey and Matthew Okula Welcome Their 1st Baby?
Hailey gave birth to son Crew on March 29, 2025, and the social media personality briefly saw her son before she needed to be resuscitated.
“She was able to see him for a split second, and I’m always going to remember that,” Matthew told the L.A. Fox affiliate. “We both looked at him and … we had a quick little laugh there, she had a little tear on her face. Me and Crew walked out of the room and they said they were finishing up, she’ll be there in a moment.”
He added, “Literally a minute later, the doctor came in and let me know they’re doing CPR on her. I’m making the decision, ‘Am I going to the ICU with my wife or am I staying with my newborn baby?’ Not the decision we thought I’d be making.”
What Has Matthew Okula Said About Honoring Hailey’s Legacy After Her Death?
In a social media statement, Matthew has been candid about always remembering his late wife.
“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,” he wrote via Instagram in April 2025. “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 firefighter also plans to make sure Crew knows his mother’s impact.
“I know she would be up there telling me that ‘You got it, raise this kid, don’t baby him too much, make sure you do everything we talked about doing,’” Matthew told Fox. “She gave her life in the most noble way.”
