Couple Welcomed Baby After Years of Infertility – Then the Worst Happened on the Day He Was Born

Being a nurse was more than a job for her — it was a passion. She was equally devoted to sharing her knowledge with others, and above all, she longed to be a mother. But on the day she had been anticipating for so long, an event occurred that turned the lives of her loved ones upside down.

After years of infertility and a difficult path to pregnancy, a couple finally reached the day they had worked so hard for — the birth of their child. Their long-awaited moment arrived with hope and relief.

But just as one chapter began, another ended most abruptly. A sudden medical emergency during delivery turned their day of celebration into a devastating ordeal with lasting consequences.

Years of Struggles Before Joy

Hailey and Matthew Okula met in college. She was a high-level gymnast, and he was training as an EMT. In the years that followed, they built a life together and eventually married. But when they tried to start a family, they were met with persistent infertility.

The process was long and difficult. They pursued in vitro fertilization (IVF), a path that required repeated treatments, emotional resilience, and physical endurance, particularly from Hailey. Throughout it all, she remained determined. During one especially difficult moment, Matthew broke down, apologizing for what her body had been through.

Hailey responded by holding his face, looking him in the eyes, and saying, "We are a team, and we'll get through this together." That sentiment carried them forward. After years of failed attempts, they finally received the news they had hoped for — Hailey was pregnant.

The relief was overwhelming. Their baby, whom they would later name Crew, symbolized the years of perseverance and the future they had worked so hard to build.

A Nurse, a Mentor, a Fighter

While preparing for motherhood, Hailey remained fully committed to her work as a nurse and educator. She had built a career defined by service, mentoring, and leadership both inside hospitals and online. Through her business, RN New Grads, she created a platform that supported new nurses worldwide. Her goal was simple: help others succeed in the field she loved.

Hailey's impact extended far beyond her job. She used social media to educate, encourage, and connect with aspiring healthcare workers. Across her platforms, she had built a following nearing one million people. Her posts blended humor with honesty, offering practical tips for surviving nursing school and the early days of clinical practice.

She poured herself into her work, not just as a nurse, but as someone who wanted to leave a lasting legacy within the profession. According to Matthew, she had planned to balance her growing business with caring for their son. She saw motherhood and mentorship as equally important parts of the life she was creating.

A Moment of Joy, Then the Unthinkable

On March 29, 2025, Hailey gave birth to their son, Crew, via cesarean section. Matthew was by her side in the operating room. He cut the umbilical cord and saw, for the first time, the baby they had waited years to meet. Hailey looked at their newborn and made a joke about his size, just a brief moment of lightness after everything they had been through.

After the delivery, Matthew stepped into the room next door to wait with their newborn. Then, just minutes later, everything changed. Hailey said, "I don't feel good," and went into cardiac arrest. Matthew recalled what happened next.

"A minute later, the doctor comes in and lets me know that they're doing CPR on her," he recounted. "I'm making the decision — am I going to the ICU with my wife or am I staying with my newborn little baby? Not the decision we thought I would be making."

He rushed back into the room and spoke his last words to Hailey. "I told her how proud I was, and I kissed her, and she knew how much I loved her," he shared.

"She gave her life in the most noble way," Matthew said. "She was able to see him for a split second, and I'm always going to remember that."

Doctors told Matthew that Hailey had suffered an amniotic fluid embolism, a rare and unpredictable condition that can lead to sudden and severe complications during or shortly after childbirth. The emergency happened within moments and left no time for preparation or response.

Understanding Amniotic Fluid Embolism

Hailey's death was caused by a rare and life-threatening condition known as amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). This complication occurs when amniotic fluid, which surrounds the baby in the uterus, along with fetal cells and tissue, enters the mother's bloodstream, typically during labor, delivery, or shortly after childbirth.

In most births, a small amount of amniotic fluid mixing with the mother's blood doesn't cause harm. But in rare cases, the body responds with a sudden and severe allergic-like reaction. This response can lead to the rapid failure of both the heart and lungs, often resulting in cardiac arrest.

It can also cause excessive bleeding, particularly at the site of a C-section or from the uterus, which becomes very difficult to control. One of the most frightening aspects of AFE is its unpredictability. It strikes without warning, progresses within minutes, and is extremely difficult to treat even in a fully equipped hospital setting.

As researchers continue to study the condition, they remain unsure why it affects some women and not others. There are no known risk factors, no screening tests, and no proven ways to prevent it. The condition is sometimes referred to as anaphylactic syndrome of pregnancy.

In Hailey's case, the reaction happened within minutes of her C-section. Matthew said it was completely unexpected. "I never, never even could have imagined any sort of scenario being like this," he stated. He is now raising awareness about the condition, using his family's tragedy to inform others about the risks that can occur even in what seem to be routine births.

Grief and Strength in the Aftermath

In the days following Hailey's death, Matthew shared his heartbreak publicly. "It is with the heaviest of heart that I share the devastating news of the unexpected passing of my beautiful wife… She was my everything," he wrote. He described her as gorgeous, smart, hardworking, and "unbelievably loyal," the kind of person who stood by him in the hardest moments of their 13 years together.

Matthew also spoke about her devotion to becoming a mother, saying, "She wanted to be mom [sic] so incredibly bad." Even before Crew was born, Hailey's love for him was boundless, and Matthew believed she would have been "the most amazing mom."

The loss was felt far beyond their family. The Los Angeles Fire Department, where Matthew serves as an engineer, released a statement mourning Hailey's death and thanking fellow firefighters, as well as support groups like Housewives of LAFD, for rallying around him and baby Crew.

Friends, colleagues, and strangers offered help, donations, and messages of condolence. Some noted the selfless nature of both Hailey and Matthew, she in building a global nursing community, and he in serving on the front lines of dangerous fires.

Although Hailey's life ended on the day she became a mother, the impact she made continues to grow. Her work as a nurse, educator, and entrepreneur touched thousands of people, from patients and colleagues to the followers she inspired through her RN New Grads platform.

For Matthew, raising Crew is now both a personal mission and a way to carry Hailey's spirit forward. "Her spirit, courage, and love will live on in our son, and through everyone whose lives she touched," he wrote.

A similar loss occurred in the United Kingdom when 19-year-old Mellodie-Ocean Jarman died from a pulmonary embolism shortly after delivering her daughter. Her pregnancy had been considered low-risk, and she showed no clear signs of deep vein thrombosis. Within days, her family went from anticipating a 4D scan to arranging a joint funeral.