Heartbroken husband’s call for Covid help revealed

Some family members of Ianeta Isaako, 30, who collapsed dead from Covid at her home in Emerton, in Sydney’s west, on Monday, have been revealed as anti-vaxxers.

Relatives of a mother-of-three who is the youngest woman to die of Covid in the state donned T-shirts with a common anti-vaxxer slogan and attended a massive anti-lockdown protest just weeks before she died.

Ianeta Isaako, 30, collapsed dead at her home in Emerton, in Sydney’s west, on Monday evening in front of her husband Sako and three young children.

NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant confirmed on Wednesday that Mrs Isaako was unvaccinated.

But close relatives said that despite the fact some of their extended family were outspoken in opposition of vaccination, they hoped the tragic reality of Mrs Isaako’s death from Covid would provide a wake up call.

“She wasn’t an anti-vaxxer or anything like that, no way,” one relative said.

Mother-of-three Ianeta Isaako, pictured with her husband Sako and their children, became the state’s youngest female Covid victim on Monday.

“She wasn’t at the protest, she did not support anti-vaxxers.

“We understand that there are some people in our circle who are against it, but we have health workers in our family too and we’ve been encouraging everyone to get vaccinated.”

Asked if they hoped Mrs Isaako’s death would lead relatives to reconsider their views: “I really hope so”.

The Daily Telegraph understands that Mrs Isaako’s terrified husband called Triple-0 begging paramedics to rush to their home on Monday, telling them his wife was not breathing and that he was also “very sick”.

Despite their best efforts, paramedics could not resuscitate Mrs Isaako and took her husband – who is also battling the Delta strain of the virus – to Nepean Hospital where he is fighting for life in a critical condition.

Mr Isaako has told family he will fight the virus for the sake of their three young children.

“Suko has the biggest heart and loves his family, his three children are everything, he’s aware of all the well wishers but he’s too sick to respond,” a close relative said.

“He says he will fight the virus, he has to for the kids, he will fight hard for them.”

Paramedics were called to the family’s home at Emerton on Monday afternoon, with Mr Isaako begging them to rush to their home - telling them his wife was not breathing and that he was also “very sick”. Picture: Toby Zerna

The couple’s three children are being cared for by their extended family at their Holland Ave home and have not been told their mother has passed away, and are being sheltered from the news.

Mrs Isaako’s family originates from New Zealand, Samoa and Tokelau, but she moved to Australia when she was young.

A relative said they had lost a “pillar” of their family.

“She was a family woman, she was the go to for our family,” they said.

“She was an awesome mum, an awesome wife, an awesome everything really. We have a big family support and we will get through this.”

Mrs Isaako’ sons played junior rugby league and rugby union in the local western Sydney area and she was a regular on the sidelines.

“Our hearts are breaking and our thoughts are with your beautiful children, loving husband and wider family,” the Penrith RSL Junior Rugby Union Club said on Facebook.

Mr Isaako worked as a rigger and was a “proud member of the CFMEU”, who in a Facebook post urged its members to support a GoFundMe set up to help the family.

“All at the CFMEU are rocked by the news and we extend our sincerest condolences to Mr Isaako, his family and friends,” the union wrote.

Incredibly, the GoFundMe page had raised almost $20,000 within one hour of being online on Wednesday.