A Brisbane woman who went for a nap on the day her third baby was due never woke up, and her death and that of her unborn child devastated her young family.
Margaret Tongiatama, 38, and her unborn baby, Kariya, died suddenly on April 11 while she slept at home, baffling loved ones and doctors.
Her husband Edward said his wife had a doctor’s appointment just two days before the lives of him and their daughters Ayla-Sialei and Zana Mary changed forever.
That meeting with a midwife “went well,” Mr. Tongiatama told the Mailwith his wife and baby apparently in good health.
She had taken a week off work and gone for a walk with Margaret, known as Magz to her friends, to help induce the upcoming labour.
Margaret Tongiatama (right) was pregnant with her third child when this photograph was taken with her husband, Ed, and daughters Ayla-Sialei and Zana Mary.
On the afternoon the baby was due to be born, they had lunch, after which Mrs Tongiatama said she was tired and went to bed.
When he went to check on her 20 minutes later, Mr Tongiatama discovered that his wife was not breathing.
He called triple-0 and began CPR, but he said, “he was just gone.”
Tongiatama called a man skateboarding on his street, who turned out to be an off-duty paramedic.
“He jumped right into action, finding his way to the house and helping me with CPR until the ambulance arrived shortly after,” Mr Tongiatama said.
But they couldn’t save Margaret.
“We are still doing all the tests to see what happened to him, but we are at a loss,” said her devastated husband.
The couple married at short notice on January 6, when Tongiatama’s father suffered a sudden illness.
They were saving to one day have a big wedding, but when their father was given just weeks to live, they planned everything in just three days so they could fulfill his wish of walking his daughter down the aisle.
“We organized Margaret’s father’s funeral and were in Melbourne helping her mother grieve (and) arrived at our home in Warner four weeks before Margaret and Kariya passed away.”
Tongiatama’s best friend, Sialei, has organized a GoFundMe for the family.
She said: “This is an incredible loss not only for the Tongiatama, Alama and Sili Samuelu families, but for everyone who was lucky enough to know and love Magz.”
“Magz’s beloved father also passed away just a couple of months ago and, as you can imagine, his family is still mourning this loss.”
The fundraiser organizer added: “Family was very important to Magz, and we would like to help ease the financial burden this puts on her husband and family.”
One of the people who donated to the family wrote that “Magz always lit up every room he was in.”
Margaret Tongiatama (right) pictured with her husband, Ed, and children Ayla-Sialei and Zana Mary.
‘She had a wonderful spirit and will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to her family at this time.’
Tongiatama said the day his wife and unborn child died was also Sialei’s birthday and that Magz had organized a big surprise for her outside of work.
He also organized numerous events, flights and accommodation for his large Samoan family.
“This has left a huge void in everyone’s lives,” he said.