After Woman's Fiance Dies Suddenly, Friends Rally To Save Their Home

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY —A young woman's dream for a beautiful future filled with joy were shattered when the love of her life, her best friend and fiance, died suddenly in his sleep on Saturday.

Emily Gandolfo, a Westhampton Beach High School Class of 2013 graduate, met her forever love Robert Little, who was living in Florida at the time, through a mutual friend. And from that point forward, their love story was pure magic. Gandolfo, an entertainer and hooper, had found her soulmate in Little, also a performer; their spin fire performances were fueled with a mutual passion for their craft and their blossoming love for one another.

The couple was engaged and had purchased their very first home; their future was bright with the promise of forever. Their videos depicted a couple deeply in love, their faces wreathed with smiles, their laughter and joy evident to all.

Until Little died, leaving Gandolfo without her heart's anchor.

"Robert Little was my very best friend, my other half and honestly, my better half," she wrote on social media. "He brought parts of me out that I never knew existed. He taught me to stand up for myself, how to love myself, how to value myself. He was my biggest fan, and I was his. I love you three thousand. I am falling apart at the seams — and honestly, do not know how to carry on and do not know if I can."

Gandolfo, who grew up in Manorville but bought her forever home in Bay Shore with her fiance, said she's unsure of everything right now, including how she'll manage financially to keep their cherished home.

Friends, however, have come forward, a veritable army of angels vowing to help.

"As most of you know, we bought our first home together a year ago and a half ago," Gandolfo wrote. "Robbie broke his back turning this house into a home for us. Fixing everything he could so we wouldn't have any issues. Losing him has completely broken me in more ways than I could ever image. Reality is now sinking in and how scary my life is going to be without him. The biggest realization has been that I am not going to be able to keep this home we built without him," she said.

In lieu of flowers, her friends have created a GoFundMe page, "Help Emily Keep Her & Robbie's Home", to help support Gandolfo in keeping their house.

"Anything helps, and I appreciate all of you supporting my, and Robbie's, dream," Gandolfo said.

Yami Nunez, who created the GoFundMe, wrote: "As many of you know, our dear friend, Robert J. Little, passed away on May 6. He was beloved by all who crossed paths with him, and he always went above and beyond for his friends and family."

She added: "Our community lost a bright individual who was cultivating a beautiful home and life for himself and his fiance, Emily. Please contribute as much as you can to assist Emily in her time of grieving."

Donations, she said, will go a long way to help Gandolfo keep the lovely home she and her love created together.

"We all loved Robbie very much and he would greatly appreciate our efforts to help Emily during this tragic time," Nunez said. "Thank you for your contribution to help uphold the dream Robbie had for his family."

Gandolfo said she is lost without the man who was her future: "I miss him more than anything. This feels like the absolute worst nightmare — one that I will never wake up from."

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.