A young Utah family is reeling from the heartbreaking loss of Morgan Aubrey Hughes, a 23-year-old mother who passed away unexpectedly just days after giving birth to her twin babies.
Morgan died on December 28 at Utah Valley Hospital in Provo, less than two weeks after welcoming her newborn son and daughter—Hudson Samuel and Georgia Elise Hughes—on December 19. The twins, born about six weeks early, remain in the neonatal intensive care unit, growing stronger each day.
Morgan’s sudden passing has left a deep void in the lives of those who loved her, especially her husband, Samuel Craig Hughes, also 23, whom she had married earlier in 2023. The couple had just begun their journey into parenthood—an experience Morgan had long dreamed of.
“She wanted nothing more than to be a mom,” her family shared. “Holding her babies was the happiest moment of her life.”
Though the twins required NICU care due to their premature birth, Morgan herself seemed to recover well initially. She was discharged just days after delivery, but her health took a drastic turn soon after. She began experiencing severe symptoms including vomiting, fainting, and what her family believes may have been a seizure.
Alarmed, Morgan returned to the hospital where doctors discovered fluid around her heart. She was diagnosed with postpartum cardiomyopathy, a rare and often undetected form of heart failure that can develop in late pregnancy or following childbirth. Despite medical intervention, Morgan’s condition rapidly declined.
Now, as baby Hudson and Georgia continue their fight in the NICU, their family is left grappling with profound grief and the unthinkable task of moving forward without Morgan’s radiant presence.
“She was a light to everyone around her,” her father, Brian Hodson, told NBC News. “Her heart was full of love—for her babies, for her husband, and for the life they were building together.”
In some cases, peripartum cardiomyopathy can be managed with medications that improve heart function and reduce fluid buildup—if caught early. But this rare condition is often difficult to diagnose because its symptoms, such as shortness of breath and swollen legs, closely mimic normal changes during pregnancy, the American Heart Association explains.
Sadly, Morgan’s condition worsened rapidly despite intensive medical care. On December 28, she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and passed away, leaving her family and community devastated.
The exact cause of peripartum cardiomyopathy remains a mystery, though experts have identified several risk factors, including pregnancies involving twins or multiples, maternal age over 35, and pregnancy complications like preeclampsia—a dangerous condition marked by high blood pressure.
Morgan, who was otherwise healthy, had been diagnosed with preeclampsia late in her pregnancy, her father, Brian Hodson, revealed. This may have contributed to the development of the rare and life-threatening heart condition.
“She always dreamed of becoming a mother,” Hodson said softly. “Morgan loved babies her whole life—she was known as the ‘baby whisperer’ even when she was young.”
“That was everything to her. All she wanted was to be a mom. She would have loved those babies more than anything in the world,” he added, his voice full of both pride and heartbreak.
The twins, born prematurely, remain in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Utah Valley Hospital but are expected to be strong enough to go home by the end of the month, according to PEOPLE.
In the wake of this devastating loss, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Morgan’s family during this difficult time. The fundraiser was organized by the Lone Peak Fire Department, where Morgan’s father serves as a Captain.
So far, the community has rallied around the Hughes family, raising over $55,000 to help cover medical expenses and the unexpected challenges ahead.
