“Our thoughts are with her husband and newborn as they navigate this tragic loss,” Boise State gymnastics said.
BOISE, Idaho — A former Boise State University gymnastics champion, known across the country as “Nurse Hailey,” passed away over the weekend of March 29-30.
Hailey Okula died following “complications” after giving birth to her first child, Crew, her husband confirmed on her Instagram account.
“Words cannot convey the depth of the loss I feel. Hailey was more than I could have ever dreamed of in a wife and partner. She was gorgeous, smart, hardworking, passionate, trustworthy, and above all else, unbelievably loyal,” her husband wrote in the Instagram post.
Boise State gymnastics posted a photo of Okula dressed in her orange and blue on its Facebook page on Friday.
“Our thoughts are with her husband and newborn as they navigate this tragic loss,” Boise State gymnastics wrote.
Boise State said Okula was on the gymnastics team from 2010-12 and “[she] had an amazing career.” During her time, she received two All-WAC first team honors, which recognize top student-athletes in their respective sport.
Okula also helped the Broncos win the 2011 WAC Championships and earned three 9.950s on vault.
Boise State said after her time at the university, she went to California and began working as a nurse.
“She poured her passion of teaching others through her business RN New Grads, helping new nurses thrive,” Boise State gymnastics shared.
In 2019, Okula launched her RN New Grads program to support nurses fresh out of school, which she said in her videos was a particularly tough time for those entering the medical field.
She garnered a substantial social media following, with nearly 500,000 on Instagram alone.
“Though her time with us was tragically cut short, Hailey’s love for Crew was limitless, long before he entered this world,” her husband wrote. “She would have been the most amazing mom. Her spirit, courage, and love will live on in our son, and through everyone whose lives she touched.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Hailey’s family.
