On Tuesday night, Chris Salvatore served up a nice Chicken Parmesan. A week earlier it was prime rib and days before that, a delicious chili. The 31-year-old actor and singer from West Hollywood, Calif., has been honing his skills in the kitchen by following the directions from his best friend and new housemate, Norma.
"She’s a really good cook but she can’t really use her hands that well anymore," Salvatore explained. "Now, she just tells me all the steps to make her fancy recipes."
The reason why his friend Norma Cook’s hands don't work so well anymore is because she's 89 years old and battling cancer. Salvatore invited Cook, his former neighbour, to move in with him two weeks ago when she needed around the clock home care.
The story of Salvatore and Cook's unusual friendship began almost five years ago when he moved into the same apartment complex as her. Cook would always wave to him from her kitchen window as he made his way to his car, Salvatore told CTVNews.ca in a telephone interview from his home in West Hollywood on Wednesday.
After three or four months of regular greetings, the elderly woman tried to start a conversation with Salvatore from her apartment window but he struggled to hear her because her asthma prevents her from projecting her voice. Salvatore said he decided to invite himself over so they could chat more easily.
“I just came in and she offered me a glass of champagne and we sat and chatted and we hit it off right away," he said.
Ever since that day almost five years ago, the unconventional pals have been glued to the hip. When Salvatore was hurting after a painful breakup, Cook was there to console him and provide him with some perspective.
"She would share her advice and her wisdom with me," he said. "I was going through my own issues with the breakup and stuff and she snapped me right out of it."
In the past year, Cook’s health has deteriorated and she has been in and out of hospital. Just before the U.S. Thanksgiving, her doctors told her that she couldn’t live alone and needed around the clock home care. Otherwise, she would have to enter a county nursing home facility.
The hilarious “besties” have developed an impressive social media following over the last few years with hundreds of thousands of followers tuning in to watch Salvatore’s videos of his daily adventures and sassy banter with Cook using the hashtag #myneighbornorma. As her health deteriorated, Salvatore asked their online followers to help him raise more than US$50,000 on the crowdfunding site GoFundMe for her home care.
But the $50,000 for her home care ran out after two months. Unable to stand the thought of Cook living in a county nursing home, Salvatore invited her to move in with him. Cook doesn’t have any family nearby and never had any of her own children.
For Salvatore, the decision has been a rewarding one. He said the last two weeks with his new housemate have been great.
“Living alone I was lonely,” Salvatore said. “It’s been really nice. We’re so close that we spend every waking moment together now.”
When asked about his response to possible critics who might think he’s helping Cook for the publicity, Salvatore was quick to dismiss the suggestion.
“It’s not an easy thing to be a caregiver,” he said. “To really give up my life to take care of her until she passes is something that I don’t think anyone can really say that someone would do for publicity. It’s a commitment.”
Salvatore said he’s there for his friend whenever she needs him.
“She has a little bell that she rings when she needs me” he said with a laugh.
The actor’s dedication may be helping with Cook’s health as well. Her doctors weren’t sure if she would live until Christmas or New Years, but she’s been surpassing their expectations.
“I really do believe that kindness heals,” Salvatore said.
Salvatore said his friendship with Cook has been “life-changing” and he hopes their story will encourage others to lend a helping hand.
“I hope it inspires people to go out there and be kind to one another and show up for people who need help,” he said.
