A devastated Edinburgh husband has paid tribute to his one-of-a-kind wife who tragically lost her life to a cardiac arrest in America at the age of 37.
Nicole Gaff (Gomez) has been described by her husband Ross, 40, from Portobello, as a "wonderful wife and mother" following her sudden death.
Ross says that he was building a perfect life with Nicole and his stepson Jayson, 12, in Florida after he had moved to the States following a turbulent time in Scotland.
READ MORE: Devastated Edinburgh wife pays heartfelt tribute to 'gentle giant' husband
The pair met on a dating site at the beginning of 2022 and the grieving husband says that they hit it off from the start before getting married on February 13 this year.
Fighting back the tears, Ross shared the horrific night that Nicole lost her life, as she awoke in the early hours of the morning "struggling" and "lashing out" in great difficulty.
Both Jayson and Ross frantically tried to save Nicole but unfortunately she was pronounced dead at hospital after being rushed to the emergency room by paramedics.
“I’d moved to Florida after experiencing a messy breakup with my ex partner," Ross said.
“Friends had brought me over for my own sanity really and they helped me to start trying to resetting my life in America as I was really struggling mentally.
“I arrived in Florida in 2021 and on March 8 2022 is when I met Nicole on a dating app. She grew up in Queens but moved down to Florida from a young age with her mum - she worked for a software company UKG.
“We started really hitting it off when we began speaking and it is funny because you do not know what you are looking for until it slaps you in the face. When we met she was living as a single mum with my stepson Jayson.
“We had our first date at Starbucks coffee house, we sat and had a coffee and chatted for hours, after that we went for some food at a Cuban restaurant where we had our first meal and kiss.
“I’d say we fell in love at an early stage but we had so much in common with the two of us coming out of long term relationships - that being said we went into it with our eyes wide open.
“Every time we spoke we realised we had more and more in common. I think she was drawn to me using humour to break the ice as we could both be quite anxious.
“We got married on February 13 as we did not want to be that cliché couple who did it on Valentine’s Day. It is weird because I never imagined that three months to the day I would be burying her.”
Ross says that on Saturday May 6 they woke up as normal and decided to head out for brunch along with Jayson before they went grocery shopping.
When they got home Ross said that Nicole had mentioned that she wanted to go for a lie down as something felt "a bit off". Following a rest they decided to head to the cinema but Nicole continued to complain of feeling groggy.
Despite this they went to the arcade and had a great time before returning home at around 9pm.
“I remember us getting home and her telling me that she was not feeling good and then there were some concerning things that followed”, Ross added.
“Jayson went to bed and we sat up watching Only Fools and Horses, it was a British show she loved as she always enjoyed British humour and wanted to get to know my culture.
“She turned to me and said ‘you know I love you so so much?’ but she kept repeating it which felt like it was quite out of the blue.
“We went to bed with her not feeling good at around 2am but at 3.25am she woke up struggling and lashing out, at first I thought she was having a nightmare.
“But then I noticed she was in discomfort and was having difficulty - her face looked similar to when my grandmother had a stroke so I began to panic.
“I called 911 and Jayson came through to help me move her, I tried CPR and when the paramedics came they tried to save her but when she got to hospital it was too late.
“They put it down to a cardiac arrest, it came out of the blue, there was no prior warning and we were not expecting it.”
Ross says that the turnout for her service was incredible and that the hundreds that came to celebrate her life showed how loved she was.
He describes Nicole as being "bubbly", "energetic" and someone who was always "fun to be around".
He added: “She would have her own wee clichés and her own words for things that were so endearing.
“You just felt rejuvenated being around her as she was always laughing, she always tried her best by everyone and was just a really good person who did not deserve this.
“We were making a life here. She was my be all and end all, we were really in love with each other and I could not see my life with anyone else and she was the same - I could not see past Nicole.
“We were apprehensive about getting into a relationship after being stung in the past but when she came along we put our cards on the table very early. We didn’t rush in but we definitely fell in love quickly knowing full well what we were getting into.
“She was beautiful, and is a beautiful person, as it does not feel like she is gone. She was a wonderful wife and a wonderful wonderful mother.
“I can’t even start to grieve or to get over her. That was my happily ever after and 37 is no age.
“I know people go through this everyday world wide but I have lost my soul mate and I lost everything I would wake up in the morning for.
“We spoke so much about her coming to Scotland and seeing where I grew up and where my mum stays. She wanted to find out more about me and my upbringing - it is just so tough. All I have left is my boy. “
Nicole’s friend has set up a GoFundMe to help cover the memorial/legal costs related to her death and funeral.
The hope is to raise enough to cover the cost of the funeral whilst also leaving something to help set Jayson up for his future.
So far the fund has accumulated over US$12,000 - to support the GoFundMe click here.
READ NEXT:
Ruthless Edinburgh gangsters 'took over houses' and flooded city with drugs
Edinburgh crowned top 'quality of life' city in UK with 'best commute times and affordable housing'
Plans submitted for Edinburgh city centre offices to be transformed into hotel
West Lothian couple admit exposing children to drugs and 'horrendous' living conditions
Drone shots show abandoned West Lothian shopping centre that went to ruin
