The family of late influencer Hailey Okula plans to host “a smaller, intimate family celebration of life” during what would have been her first Mother’s Day, according to her husband.
“The really, really, really tough one … will be Crew’s birthday, which would also be the passing of Hailey,” the nurse’s spouse, Matthew Okula, told People in an interview published on Wednesday, April 23. “I feel, like, it’s going to be just over and over very tough, tough days, but I don’t think there’s going to be a year that goes by that we don’t celebrate a Mother’s Day for her, or a birthday that goes by that we don’t celebrate for her.”
Hailey died in March at age 33 after suffering an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) moments after giving birth to her and Matthew’s first baby, son Crew. AFE occurs when amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream, which can trigger a life-threatening reaction.
“It’s incredibly rare and devastating. Her OBGYN said they were doing everything they could, but it just took over,” Matthew exclusively told Us Weekly earlier in April. “I couldn’t wrap my head around it. She was so healthy, everything had gone well, and then suddenly she was gone.”
He added, “Even in the ICU with every specialist — cardiologists, pulmonologists — no one could save her. It was just so fast, and her body was hit with everything at once: heart failure, lung failure, internal bleeding. There’s no treatment protocol for this. It’s just rolling with each complication as it comes and trying to keep the patient alive.”
Hailey and the Los Angeles firefighter had been together since college, eventually getting married in September 2022. After two years of infertility struggles, Hailey completed a successful cycle of IVF in 2024. She announced her pregnancy in September 2024.
According to Matthew, Hailey briefly got to meet Crew before she went into cardiac arrest. In the wake of her sudden death, Matthew has pledged to honor Hailey’s legacy so that Crew grows up knowing all about his mom.
Matthew Okula confirmed that his wife, influencer Hailey Okula, died at age 33 from an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) after giving birth to their son, Crew. AFE occurs when “amniotic fluid, fetal cells, or debris enter the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy, triggering a severe immune-like reaction,” Dr. Precious Barnes, DO, a family medicine physician specializing […]
“I talk to him about her constantly. I want him to know how amazing she was — how much she’s still doing for us,” Matthew told Us. “He’s going to hear about her all the time. I show him her nursing skits [and] her gymnastics videos. She wasn’t just a brilliant entrepreneur — she was a Division I gymnast, an amazing wife, sister, daughter and friend. She impacted so many people.”
Matthew also told Us that he still plans to “raise Crew the way [they] talked about” during Hailey’s pregnancy.
“We were dealt a hand that seems so unfair, but I know what she’d want. I’m going to be an amazing dad for Crew,” he explained at the time, calling the pair’s son a miracle. “The bond between me and Crew [is] the connection I have with her now.”
