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Known as Nurse Hailey to her 400,000 followers, Hailey Okula was a nursing influencer who gained fame while sharing her struggle with infertility.
Today, Hailey’s husband took to his wife’s page to share the tragic news of her death.
In a heartbreaking tribute, Matthew Okula revealed that Hailey’s death came shortly after the birth of the couple’s first child, a son named Crew.
Hailey Okula’s cause of death
Though he did not go into specifics, Matthew did reveal that Hailey passed away “due to complications from childbirth.”
“Words cannot convey the depth of the loss I feel,” he wrote alongside a video honoring his late wife.
“Hailey was more than I could have ever dreamed of in a wife and partner,” Matthew continued, adding:
“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.”
“Words can’t describe how badly we wanted to be parents,” he wrote in his heartbreaking announcement.
“I will never forget the moment I broke down, apologizing for the toll the process would take on her. She held my face, looked into my eyes, and said, ‘We are a team, and we’ll get through this together.’”
An outpouring of support
Matthew’s announcement, which also linked to a GoFundMe page, received thousands of comments from fans who were inspired by Hailey’s content.
“I am truly shocked and heartbroken for your entire family; there are no words. Hailey was such a light in this nursing community. She and I messaged back and forth throughout our pregnancies and I am devastated to hear this news,” wrote one follower, according to the New York Post.
“She was my nurse during one of my toughest hospitalizations. I’ll never forget her kindness and quick help,” another added.
“Absolutely devastating. She helped me and so many other people through the trenches of nursing school. I am so sorry!!” a third chimed in.
“I can’t believe this! She was soooo excited about becoming a new mom,” yet another user added. “She even replied to my comment, saying thank you when I told her she was the best content producer for her ER skits…I WILL MISS HER!!!”
“Being able to say that we are pregnant is indescribable,” Hailey wrote in her pregnancy announcement back in September.
“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.”
Though her life was tragically cut short, Hailey clearly left a major impact. And we’re sure her widow and son will honor her memory every day.
Our thoughts go out to Hailey’s loved ones during this enormously difficult time.