They say having a child is the ultimate full-circle moment—the kind of joy that makes every detour and heartbreak feel worth it. For one former Boise State gymnast, that long-awaited moment finally came… but heartbreak wasn’t done with her just yet. A star on the college gymnastics scene, she left her mark at Boise State by helping her team win the 2011 WAC Championships by scoring three 9.950s on the vault. After college, she swapped leotards for scrubs, diving headfirst into the fast-paced world of emergency medicine. Everything was going well until it wasn’t. At the young age of 33, she met the most tragic end imaginable. What went wrong?

“Nurse Hailey”, as she was known, with more than 450,000 followers on Instagram, was a loved figure. Okula wasn’t just a dedicated nurse herself, she cared deeply for the community. Through her platform, @rnnewgrads, the former gymnast helped to provide nursing resources and support for budding nurses. But she left it all behind- her husband Matthew, the nursing community she was so dedicated to, and her newborn, Crew. Hailey Okula, 33, passed away on March 31, just hours after delivering her baby boy via C-section. When the former gymnast found out about her pregnancy in September last year, it meant everything to her, and for good reason. After struggling with infertility for years, she could finally become a mother, thanks to IVF treatments. But in a twist too cruel to believe, that moment of joy turned into the unimaginable. The cause of death?

A rare and devastating complication called amniotic fluid embolism (AFE), which led to sudden cardiac arrest. Her husband shared the heartbreaking news just days later on Instagram, writing, “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.” The couple had been open about their fertility journey, sharing every hopeful step online—from IVF injections to Hailey’s pregnancy milestones.

Even on Sept. 17, 2024, she announced the big news: “Dealing with infertility for almost two years… I still can’t believe this is real.” It was supposed to be their happy ending. But instead of celebrating, the world is now mourning, and when the gymnastics community heard the news, hearts shattered everywhere. Following the tragedy, Matthew is left behind to navigate the world as a single father, still coping with the loss of his wife, who was nothing less than a pillar of strength for him, “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.” Jason Teter has organized a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of Okula to enable him to raise the newborn alone amid such a difficult time.

Nurse Hailey was widely known and loved. Following the tragedy, her fans and admirers poured in, moved by unimaginable grief.

The gymnastics world remembers a champion on and off the mat

One gymnastics fan wrote, “So heartbreaking… I can’t imagine the weight her husband is carrying.” Another said, “Oh my. This is so extremely sad.” And one more echoed the collective grief, simply adding, “💔 May her soul RIP 🙏🏼💔💔.” Hailey wasn’t just a standout on the mat, she was a powerhouse off it, too. At Boise State (2010–2012), she racked up All-WAC first-team honors, nailed 9.950s on vault like it was nothing.

Tributes have been pouring in nonstop. One more gymnastics fan wrote, “Lord have mercy 🙏🏻😔 may her memory be eternal and may God comfort him in his grief. 💔” Another said, “Devastating. Prayers for the family that they have the strength to carry on. Words cannot properly describe how sad this is.” And ironically, heartbreakingly, even as an experienced ER nurse, Hailey couldn’t have predicted what would happen to her. The complication?

An amniotic fluid embolism, or AFE, a rare and often fatal condition that causes an allergic-like reaction when amniotic fluid enters the bloodstream during or after childbirth. And that’s what makes this loss cut even deeper. Here was a woman who had spent her whole career saving lives — and yet, when it mattered most, the odds were stacked against her. According to Healthline, AFE is the second most common cause of maternal death in the U.S., and it hits without warning.

What was supposed to be their fairytale ending turned into heartbreak but Hailey’s impact lives on, in every gymnast, every nurse, she mentored, every patient she cared for, and the beautiful baby boy, Crew, she brought into the world. But even in the middle of so much pain, people are remembering the way she lived—with purpose, passion of gymnastics, and a whole lot of heart.