Influencer Hailey Okula’s Husband, Matt, Honors Late Wife 1 Year After She Died from Rare Childbirth Complication (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Nursing influencer Hailey Okula’s husband, Matt, honored his late wife one year after her death at age 33

• On March 29, 2025, Hailey died after going into cardiac arrest following an amniotic fluid embolism, hours after giving birth to their son, Crew

• “There have been a lot of bittersweet moments over this past year, and March 29 was a big one,” Matt tells PEOPLE

Nursing influencer Hailey Okula’s husband, Matt, is honoring his late wife one year after her death at age 33.

On March 29, 2025, Hailey died after going into cardiac arrest following an amniotic fluid embolism — described by the National Library of Medicine as a rare pregnancy complication caused by “amniotic fluid, fetal cells, hair, or other debris” entering the “maternal pulmonary circulation, causing cardiovascular collapse” — hours after giving birth to their son, Crew.

“I knew it would be bittersweet celebrating Crew’s birthday while also remembering and reflecting on the day we lost Hailey,” Matt tells PEOPLE a year later. “There have been a lot of bittersweet moments over this past year, and March 29 was a big one.”

Still, Matt maintains that “joy and grief can coexist” — and that he’s come to understand “that may be the case for quite some time. I’ve accepted that and I’m okay with it.”

Looking back, Matt continues, “I can say I’m doing much better and I’m proud of how far I’ve come in this journey. I still have tough and emotional days, but I’m grateful to have a strong support system that’s always there to lift me up when I need it.”

Prior to her death, Hailey had documented her pregnancy journey online. She first announced that she was expecting on Sept. 17, 2024, writing at the time that the news was “indescribable” given how she and her husband had dealt “with infertility for almost two years” before conceiving through IVF.

Four months after her death, Matt reflected that his late wife was “brave, open, real, always leading with her heart,” recounting how he had suggested they keep their experience with IVF private, which she decided against.

“She knew it would help other people that were having these same struggles,” he said. “And we saw how impactful that was, a lot bigger probably than we thought it could have been.”

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In February, marking his and Crew’s first Valentine’s Day since Hailey’s death, Matt shared a video spreading her ashes at “her favorite beach.”

Though he told his followers that he had initially collected “so many pictures and videos” for a Valentine’s Day video, he said he ultimately scrapped those plans because he wanted to spend the day with Crew “and create new memories.”

Read the original article on People