Young Indian Mom Dies in New Zealand, Leaving Family Heartbroken

A family has been left devastated after a mother-of-two mysteriously died in her sleep, just six months after moving to New Zealand.

Rupal Sharma, 40, had recently relocated to Auckland with her husband, Umakant Sharma, and their two children, a 10-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son. She had dreams of becoming a science teacher, but those hopes were cut short when she was found unresponsive early Monday morning.

On the night she passed away, Rupal was surrounded by her family, who were all sleeping in the same room. It was her daughter who first noticed something was wrong.

The New Zealand Herald quoted, “My daughter knocked ... I rushed outside and I asked her what happened. She said that Mama is not responding,” Umakant told the Herald.
“But she didn’t see that her face was upside down.
“She thought she was sleeping.”

Umakant said he rushed to the room and tried to wake his wife, even attempting CPR.
“Then I saw her face. It was like white,” he said, quoted The New Zealand Herald.

She was rushed to North Shore Hospital, where she was declared dead within 10 minutes. The cause of death remains unknown, with further testing underway.

Police confirmed they attended North Shore Hospital on Monday morning in relation to a sudden death. The case has been referred to the Coroner.

The grieving family now hopes to return Rupal’s body to India for her final rites, according to a Givealittle fundraising post.

Umakant explained that he had first moved to New Zealand in November last year, while his wife of 13 years and their children joined him six months ago. The family settled on Auckland’s North Shore and quickly grew to love their new life.

“Everyone was happy. Me, my children, wife ... It was like a dream come true,” he said.
“She was a person who wanted to visit places. She liked to cook food for family, she loved children, and she wanted to live a long life with her children,” The New Zealand Herald quoted.

Describing his wife as active and “very healthy,” Umakant said he was not aware of any health issues that might have caused this tragedy.