Dasun Maduranga Salvatore is Cook dinner’s 24-hour at-home caretaker after being inseparable for four years.
Norma Cook dinner, 89, and Chris Salvatore, 31, are inseparable as she lives out her final days.
The dynamic pair has been living apart from their West Hollywood, California neighbors for the past four years. When physicians recommended that Cook’s dinner receive round-the-clock at-home care this year, Salvatore took over as her primary caregiver.
She is my closest friend, and I adore her.
The actor and singer Salvatore told PEOPLE, “It would be my joy to do anything for her.
“I think human kindness is a magical force that might be able to heal what doctors can’t,” the speaker said.
Despite having only a few months to live, Salvatore wants Cook to feel “so adored” every day during supper.
Salvatore says she opts out of treating most cancers. It’s now my job to make her feel comfortable, at peace, and never lonely.
It is my gift to give her the gift of passing on, being at peace, and having a wonderful time during the last few months of her life.”
A few years ago, Salvatore moved into Cook dinner’s condo as a decorator. From her kitchen window, Cook dinner would wave to the actor-singer as he left his condo.
“I asked at one point, “Can I be available and chat?” Because of this, she appeared very kind “Salvatore says. “She gave me a drink of champagne, and we quickly became friends.
I would talk to her for hours on end during a period when I was going through a breakup and was feeling down.
I felt better knowing she was there and had heard me. She supported me during some difficult moments.”
The unlikely pair began interacting daily with Cook dinner’s cat, Hermes, and the unlikely team.
In a matter of seconds, Salvatore and I became best friends. During the AIDS epidemic, she lost a lot of gay friends. As homosexuals, we bonded immediately – we mainly talked about fashion and food.”
She divorced at 43, never had a child, and was diagnosed with leukaemia ten years ago. After her well-being rapidly declined last year, Salvatore stepped in to care for her.
Last year, she was hospitalised six times. After being discharged from the hospital two weeks ago, the doctor said, “You can’t leave the hospital unless you have 24-hour care,” Salvatore says. Moreover, I couldn’t allow her to live in a facility or a nursing home. As she said, “I would rather die than be cared for in a facility.”
As soon as doctors told Cook dinner that she had months to live, Salvatore took over the role of a legal advisor and first caretaker. To raise money for at-home care not covered by her insurance, he created a GoFundMe page.
I used to be doing that for her,” says Salvatore. As a result of my use of #MyNeighborNorma for videos and footage of us, we had developed a small following, so I asked anyone who loved seeing our friends contribute.”
Cook, who is receiving hospice care, was moved into Salvatore’s condo thanks to the money he raised.
You develop a link with someone after being their best friend for four years; when you move to caring for someone, it’s difficult to separate yourself from the emotional bond you have with them as they pass away in front of you. I have made an effort to maintain my composure since I don’t want her to see me unhappy.
Although he struggles to stand and requires a respiratory machine, he remains a “firecracker,” according to Salvatore.
She is feisty and blunt in her communication. Norma has a sharp mind and is witty. If she doesn’t like my clothes, she will touch them. She has that personality because that is who she is, and I think it is wonderful.
Despite her illnesses, Cooks appears to be “completely happy”, and she is consuming food and gaining weight, according to Salvatore.
“She’s all there in her head, she’s aware of death, she talks about it, she’s okay with dying,” he says. “She calls me her grandchild, and we’re just trying to spend as much time together as possible.”
The days are good, and the days are dangerous, but now we have one another.”
Cook dinner, who has been advised she has two months or fewer to live, visits Salvatore’s condo twice a week.
He says, “Norma tells me, ‘I don’t want you finding me dead.’ I don’t want her to think I’ll be crushed. I’m trying to stay strong for her, and I tell her I’ll be okay, but it’s tough.”
“I felt honored to spend her last moments with her. She has made me a kinder and more compassionate individual.
Hopefully, Salvatore’s unimaginable bond with Cook dinner will inspire others to meet new people.
“Norma taught me that, and I hope others can learn from her. Kindness heals, and we’re all on this planet together. When you light a lamp for another person, it brightens your pathway.”
According to him, age is only a quantity.
Despite your age, you shouldn’t hold back from connecting with someone. You never know who will turn into your dearest friend. “It’s funny because you think you don’t have anything in common with someone who’s 89,” says Salvatore.
