In 2013, a young man named Chris Salvatore moved in across the hall from Norma Cook, an 85-year-old woman, and her cat, Hermes. They always said hello to each other, but after Salvatore introduced himself they became fast friends.
In fact the two became such good friends that when Norma was near the end of her life and in need of constant care, Salvatore, a 31-year-old actor, asked her to move in.
Norma’s health began to rapidly decline when she turned 89. After a hospital stay, Salvatore learned that Cook wouldn’t be allowed to return home unless she had constant care. Without any children of her own or family nearby, she was at a loss.
Salvatore set up a GoFundMe for Cook. Once the two best friends tested a few caretakers, the 31-year-old realized he was going to have to do something more.
“The only other option was for her to go into a facility,” he mentions. “I just couldn’t do that to someone who is like my own grandmother.”
He invited Cook to move into his apartment.
“I’m so happy I was able to give her this gift of living her last days at home,” Salvatore told GoFundMe. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to go through the end of your life at a hospital without your friends or pets.”
Salvatore and Cook turned out to be excellent roommates.
“We always watch the news,” Cook explains. “We mostly talk and drink Champagne and eat peanuts.”
Unfortunately, Cook passed away on February 15, 2017. Salvatore shared the heartbreaking news on Instagram, where he typically shared the pair’s adventures.
“She called me the grandson she never had,” Salvatore said of Cook.
While Salvatore didn’t have to help Cook in any way, he couldn’t bare to see her spend her final days in a hospital without someone who loved her.
Share this article if you think we should all be a little more like Salvatore.
