31-Year-Old Man Invited 89-Year-Old Neighbor To Live With Him To Assist Her In Her Last Days
Tags: opinion
With Christmas right around the corner, what better time is there than to reminisce about the kindness in humanity? This story is from a couple of years back – 2017, to be exact. It’s not only a Christmas story either because it has the love you find in Valentine’s as well.
A person’s last days can be one of the loneliest and most painful times in their lives unless they have people caring for them at hand. For 89-year-old Norma Cook that could very easily have been the case. In fact, which was her situation because she only had her cat named Hermes for company.
But that all changed when a young 31-year-old neighbor moved in. Chris Salvatore had just moved into a brand-new city, and he had no friends or acquaintances there. But he was friendly, and he made it a point to extend that friendliness towards his neighbors. So, he went to Norma Cook, who lived next door and became close friends within a short while.
That Was Just The Beginning Of Their Friendship
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In an interview with Today, Chris recalls that he saw Norma like his own grandmother. The octogenarian was in need of constant care. So, he knew that Norma’s only option was to enter a facility. But he could not let that happen and asked Norma to live with him. Norma was ecstatic at the prospect.
Read: 89 Year Old Grandma Sews 600 Masks While Jamming To The Beatles
The two lived together for a few years until Norma turned 89. In that year, her health worsened. Chris then began caring for her and even tried to look after her finances. There were numerous complications in Norma’s health, along with leukemia. This meant that Norma had very heavy medical expenses. So, Chris created a page on GoFundMe to get some financial help for Norma. The page raised about $35,000 by November 2016.
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A Great Example Of “Love Thy Neighbor”
Chris would spend the majority of his days staying with Norma, and they like to be around each other. They would do simple activities like sharing a pizza or a drink. They soon became more than friends and as close as family.
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Nearly 5 years after Chris and Norma met, however, the time had come for Norma to leave this earth. But if it was not for Chris’s kindness and love, she would possibly not have had such a peaceful goodbye.
Chris recalls that Norma had taught him how to love deeper than he ever thought possible. He considered her to be one of the most powerful women who could make strangers turn into friends. Chris posted about Norma’s passing on his social media so the world could know about it.
Read: To Help A Senior Shopper This 17-Year-Old Grocery Store Cashier Paid His $173 Bill
Norma’s final wish was to pass away while having her dignity, and it may not have been possible without Chris’ kindness. In his interview, Chris said that Norma thought of him as the grandson she never had. So, as Christmas approaches, keep in mind how care and kindness can leave a massive impact on someone’s life – regardless of whether it’s just the lonely old lady living next to you.
Feature Image Credits: Chris Salvatore
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