TUCSON, Ariz. ( KOLD /Gray News) - An Arizona family is mourning the loss of their loved one.

Ioni Alexis Duarte Harsh was at the hospital getting ready to give birth to her fifth child just a few days before Mother’s Day.

But her family said that during a contraction, that’s when she went into cardiac arrest.

Now, the responsibility to take care of their five children, including a newborn son, falls on Harsh’s grieving husband, James, and the family.

Harsh’s mother, Eunice Gillis, said they are still trying to come to terms with what happened.

“I looked up to my daughter; she taught me how to be a better mom,” Gillis said. “She was always very giving whenever a friend or anyone needed anything.”

Loved ones said motherhood came naturally to Harsh, who was born and raised in Tucson, with her oldest child being 13 years old.

“She literally gave her life up for them, figuratively and literally,” Gillis said. “You can’t ask for more than that.”

Gillis said her daughter’s death has left a vacant spot in the family and the community.

Harsh worked as a stay-at-home mom, homeschooling her kids.

Gillis described her daughter as the “glue of the family,” with her care also extending to people outside of the family unit.

Harsh’s mother said the love her daughter put out in the world is finally returning to her. Since Harsh’s death, many have reached out to the family with memories of her and donated to the family’s GoFundMe account in support.

“You don’t realize how much you mean to people until you really need them, and it has blown us away. We’re so grateful for that,” Gillis said.

Harsh’s husband has been left to navigate the loss, which Gillis said has been a struggle. She said it’s her new mission to help bring resources to fathers who lost their partners, which is a way to continue her daughter’s legacy.

“I’m hearing my daughter in my ear (saying) I think that’s how best to remember her and continue giving in that way,” she said.

According to Gillis, they will be bringing their newest addition home from the hospital in the next few days. She said she sees so much of her daughter in her grandkids.

While Gillis misses her daughter dearly, she said she looks forward to watching her grandkids grow up because it will be like watching her daughter grow up again.