Mother and wife Margaret Tongiatama and baby tragically die

A newly wedded husband and two young daughters are mourning the loss of a “healthy” Queensland woman who took a nap on the day she was due to give birth, and never woke up.

The couple met in 2016 and shared the dream of creating beautiful children, owning their own home and getting married.

It was meant to be the day they welcomed their third baby girl, but instead a Moreton Bay father has been left trying to comprehend the sudden death of his pregnant wife and unborn child, after she took a nap and never woke up.

Margaret (Magz) Tongiatama, 38, and her unborn baby Kariya tragically died on her due date — April 11 — while she was sleeping at her home.

Her husband, Edward Tongiatama, said his wife had a midwifery appointment, which “went well”, two days before disaster struck.

“Margaret and the baby were in good health, she had dilated a healthy 2cm and was expected to go in to labour soon after,” he said.

“I took the week off work and we began going for walks and doing all of the things that induce labour, but she just wasn’t dilating very much.

“On the Thursday afternoon we had lunch and she said she was tired and went to have a lie down.”

Just 20 minutes later Mr Tongiatama went to check on his wife and discovered her dead.

He immediately called triple-0 and began CPR but “she was just gone”.

Mr Tongiatama said when he found his wife "she was just gone".

“I called out to a man skateboarding up my street and turns out he was an off-duty paramedic,” Mr Tongiatama said.

“He sprung straight in action, found his way into the house and helped me with CPR until the ambulance arrived soon after.

“There was nothing that could be done, it was a huge shock.

“We’re still going through all of the tests to see what happened to her but it’s at a loss.”

A pregnant mother who went for a nap on the day of her due date, and unexplainably never woke up, has left a gaping hole in her family, leaving behind her two toddler girls and newly wedded husband. 

The family had recently experienced tragedy with the sudden illness and death of Mrs Tongiatama’s father in January, which prompted Mr and Mrs Tongiatama’s last minute wedding.

Mr Tongiatama said the couple had been waiting to save for a huge wedding but planned one in three days when her father was given weeks to live.

“Her dream was to have her father walk down the aisle so we planned it all very quickly and were married on January 6, 2024,” he said.

“We organised Margaret’s father’s funeral and were in Melbourne helping her mother grieve.

The couple met in 2016 and shared the dream of creating beautiful children, owning their own home and getting married.

“We arrived back at our home in Warner four weeks before Margaret and Kariya’s passing.”

Mrs and Mr Tongiatama met in 2016 and shared the dream of creating beautiful children, owning their own home and getting married.

“Margaret was from Melbourne and was only meant to move to Brisbane for a few months to train a new office of after hours doctors call service employees,” Mr Tongiatama said.

“We went on our first date, we went from there and she never left.”

Mrs Tongiatama was well known for the devoted loyalty, compassion and care she showed for her extended family and large circle of friends.

Mr Tongiatama said the day of his wife’s death was also the birthday of her best friend, who she would call several times a day.

“Hours before, Margaret had organised a huge surprise outside her best friend Sialei’s work,” Mr Tongiatama said.

“She was always willing to be a pillar for everyone in her life and would do anything to help anyone when they were going through something.

Margaret, Ed, Ayla-Sialei and Zana Mary.

“She was also the organiser of her big Samoan family and would organise events, flights and accommodation for everyone.

“This has left a massive hole in everyone’s lives.”

Mrs Tongiatama’s best friend has set up a GoFundMe page to fundraise for Mr Tongiatama and his two-year-old and four-year-old daughters Ayla-Sialei and Zana Mary.

“Family was so important to Magz, and the financial burden this bears on her husband and family is something we would like to help take off their plate,” she said.

Mr Tongiatama said his little girls have been distracted by family members who have flown from all over the country to support them during this unimaginable time.

“The girls have their cousins who they love and have been playing with,” he said.

“We are surrounded by people we love.”