Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

'Sassy' 89-year-old woman moves in with 31-year-old actor calling him the grandson she never had

The pair 'mostly talk and drink Champagne and eat peanuts', Norma Cook says

Jon Sharman
Wednesday 25 January 2017 14:38 GMT
Comments
Chris Salvatore took in 89-year-old Norma Cook because he could not stand to see her in a home
Chris Salvatore took in 89-year-old Norma Cook because he could not stand to see her in a home (Chris Salvatore)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Hollywood actor has taken an 89-year-old woman who suffers from leukaemia into his home after her she spent two months in hospital battling the disease.

Norma Cook describes Chris Salvatore as "the grandson she never had", while the 31-year-old said his new housemate is "friendly but sassy".

The pair lived opposite each other in West Hollywood for a number of years but it was only after Ms Cook's hospital stay that Mr Salvatore invited her to live with him, NBC's TODAY reported.

Doctors had said Ms Cook could not move home without round-the-clock care.

So Mr Salvatore, who is also a singer songwriter and gay rights activist, raised $50,000 (£40,000) through an online appeal.

But as her savings dwindled he said it made sense for her to move in.

"The only other option was for her to go into a facility. I just couldn't do that to someone who is like my own grandmother," he told TODAY.

Nurses and doctors had told him that it would be a "miracle" if she survived past the Christmas period, "so the fact that she's still thriving is just a really great thing."

Ms Cook added that they "mostly talk and drink Champagne and eat peanuts."

She said: "He’s a really wonderful guy. He cooks for me—if he can't make it as an actor, he can make it as a chef."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in