'It just doesn't feel real': Husband, brothers remember Utah woman who died after delivering twins

BENJAMIN, Utah – The husband of the young Utah mom who died just days after delivering twins says his wife was just amazing and so excited to be a mother.

Morgan Hughes, 23, died on Saturday, just days after Christmas and just 9 days after delivering a baby boy and girl. Her family says it happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that no one saw it coming.

"It just doesn't feel real," Morgan's husband, Sam Hughes, said. "Morgan was amazing. She was the best wife, the best daughter and nobody loved more than she did. She loved her Savior, Jesus Christ, and we will do our best to honor her through our faith in Christ. The only choice is to believe in an afterlife; otherwise, there is no hope."

Outside Morgan's parents' home in Cedar Hills, balloons, ribbons and paper hearts can be seen decorating the neighborhood and home.

"We have just been so grateful for the love and support and outreach from the community," Morgan's older brother, Justin Hodson, said. "The community, the church, the schools, family, friends, everybody doing everything they can to help."

Including the Lone Peak Fire Department where Morgan Hughes' father is a fire captain.

"The fire community has been a brotherhood, not just here but across the nation," said Justin Hodson.

Just months ago, the family was filled with pure joy as Morgan and Sam Hughes announced they were having twins, and then later announced that it was a boy and a girl.

"It was very exciting. Anybody who knows Morgan knows that all she ever wanted in her life was to be a mom," Justin Hodson said.

On Dec. 19, little Hudson and Georgia came into the world just seven minutes apart.

"It was probably the happiest moment in our family because we just had two babies. It's my parents' first grandbabies," said Kaden Hodson, Morgan's younger brother. "(Morgan) was pretty proud and excited."

The babies had to go into the NICU at Utah Valley Hospital because they were premature, but the family says Morgan Hughes seemed perfectly fine and healthy. But days later after coming home, she started to feel sick. She was rushed to the hospital, and the next day, on Saturday, she died from what is believed to be a form of heart failure.

"The official cause of death was a cardiomyopathy, which doctors said was extremely rare — and with her being a young, healthy individual, a lot of the symptoms were completely masked," Justin Hodson said. "To go from just pure happiness to losing her is really tough. It's all just a nightmare that we are waiting for us to wake up from."

"It's hard because not only did I lose my sister, but I feel like I lost my best friend," Kaden Hodson said.

What is now keeping the family strong is their faith and the precious twins, Hudson and Georgia.

"Those babies are improving so quickly. It's almost like they know they need to get out of the hospital. They took Georgia off oxygen yesterday. They are both feeding really well," Justin Hodson said.

Sam Hughes says he visits and cares for his twins twice a day and that's where he feels his wife near.

"The twins are where I feel my peace that she's there. She is helping the twins," he said.

Morgan Hughes' funeral is scheduled for Friday. Two GoFundMe accounts have been set up to help Sam and the babies. One was set up by the family, while the other by the Lone Peak Fire Association.

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