Just days after the devastating loss of his wife, nursing influencer Hailey Okula, Matthew Okula is honoring her memory in the most personal way.
Matthew posted a series of raw, unedited wedding videos to Hailey’s Instagram Story, offering followers a glimpse into the woman she was beyond social media. Hailey, beloved by many for her nursing content and her business RN New Grads, passed away due to complications during childbirth. Their newborn son, Crew, survived.
In one touching clip, Hailey and Matthew are seen smiling as they slow dance to Amanda Jordan’s “I Choose You.” Matthew captioned it: “Our first dance. I want everyone to see a little more into who Hailey was outside of @rnnewgrads.”
Hailey founded RN New Grads to help newly licensed nurses navigate their first steps in the field. Over time, the platform grew to include educational tools, interview support, and even stylish nursing apparel, becoming a go-to resource for the nursing community.
Alongside her professional content, Hailey also documented her deeply personal fertility journey on social media. She opened up about IVF and her pregnancy after announcing she was expecting in September 2024. She had built a following of over 425,000 on Instagram and more than 200,000 on TikTok under the handle @rnnewgrads.
In another clip, Matthew added the caption “I choose you♥️.” He also shared a joyful video of Hailey jumping up and down with guests during their wedding celebration, dancing to Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” with the caption: “The Hailey I fell in love with♥️ This video will definitely be reposted again later.”
On Tuesday, Matthew, a firefighter with the Los Angeles Fire Department, broke the heartbreaking news on Instagram: Hailey had died shortly after giving birth to their son, Crew, due to rare childbirth complications.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that I share the devastating news of the unexpected passing of my beautiful wife, Hailey Marie Okula, due to complications from childbirth,” Matthew wrote. “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. She was gorgeous, smart, hardworking, passionate, trustworthy, and above all else, unbelievably loyal.”
He went on to share how strong and devoted Hailey was throughout their 13-year relationship and especially during their infertility journey. “After years of struggles and a long, challenging IVF process, we were overjoyed to be expecting Crew,” he said.
“I’ll never forget when I broke down during the process and apologized for what it was putting her through. She held my face, looked me in the eyes, and said, ‘We’re a team, and we’ll get through this together.’ That was Hailey—strong, loving, and fiercely devoted.”
Though her time as a mother was tragically short, Matthew said her love for their son Crew was boundless. “She would’ve been the most amazing mom,” he added. “Her spirit, courage, and love will live on in our son and in everyone whose life she touched.”
Matthew also shared an emotional video montage showing moments from their journey together—from wedding memories to Hailey’s pregnancy and footage from the hospital.
In an interview with FOX 11, Matthew opened up about the heartbreaking moment in the delivery room. Just two minutes after Crew was born, Hailey said, “I don’t feel good,” and then went into cardiac arrest. Doctors later told him she had suffered a rare condition known as amniotic fluid embolism—a sudden, unpredictable complication where amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“She gave her life in the most noble way,” Matthew said, visibly emotional. “She was able to see him for a split second, and I’ll always remember that.”
