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Have we got a story for you if you enjoy odd friendships: Here come Norma Cook, an 89-year-old Californian, and her best friend, Chris Salvatore, a 31-year-old.
They first connected four years ago when he moved into the West Hollywood apartment building. She asked him over for a glass of champagne, and ever since then, they have been inseparable. “She’s my best friend, Chris said to People. For her, I would sacrifice anything.
Norma, a 10-year leukemia patient, and interior decorator saw a significant drop in her health last year and had to spend two months in the hospital. She was only given a few months to live once she was released and required round-the-clock care. Chris, who is also an actor and singer, took over as her full-time caregiver.
He’s used the hashtag #MyNeighborNorma to share some of their exploits on social media and gain a small fan base.
Salvatore requested assistance from their online followers when their insurance refused to pay for the cost of her care. He created a GoFundMe page in November with the goal of helping his sick friend by raising $40,000. Norma is still “continuing to THRIVE!” as per a recent post to the page, so they have boosted their goal to $60,000 in an effort to buy her more time.
Yes, Norma does appear to be the best neighbor ever. And Chris is pretty much a dream come true; for goodness’ sake, he plays the keytar and is a leading man in the g”ay sex comedy “Eating Out 3: All You Can Eat.” Almost too adorable to be true, this tale.
Yes, there’s a good probability Salvatore is just as interested in making himself look good as he is in boosting Norma’s finances. However, Norma seemed to be taking part voluntarily and enjoying herself in all of this. So it seems unnecessary to launch the #FreeNorma campaign just yet.
We might all use a little faith in our neighbors’ fundamental decent in these very gloomy times.
What do you think about these old and young besties? Do you know any others like this? Please let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to spread the news so that we can hear from more people.
