Nursing influencer Hailey Okula has died of complications after giving birth to her first child, husband Matthew Okula, informed on social media. Ms Okula, an ER nurse, known online as Nurse Hailey, had gained popularity and thousands of followers after speaking openly about her infertility struggles and sharing her pregnancy journey.
“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,” Mr Matthew wrote on Instagram.
“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,” Mr Matthew continued.
“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.”
According to local station KTTV, Ms Okula went into cardiac arrest, minutes after giving birth to her son, named Crew.
Ms Okula underwent a two-year journey to get pregnant through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF). When she was finally able to share the good news in September, she told her followers: “Being able to say that we are pregnant is indescribable.”
“From my infertility problems, to my husband’s infertility problems, to us having to create a special probe because we both carry the same genetic disease, lotsssss of meds and lots of money, the journey has been hard, but so worth it,” she wrote at the time.
Social media reacts
Thousands of Ms Okula’s followers posted heartfelt condolences with many sharing their personal experiences with her and how she had impacted their lives.
“Please tell me this is just an awful joke,” said one user while another added: “She was my nurse during one of my toughest hospitalisations. I’ll never forget her kindness and quick help.”
A third commented: “Hailey’s legacy goes beyond the work she did or the aspirations she carried. Her kindness and dedication to helping others left a mark on everyone she met.”