Norma Cook, the 89-year old with a super hot young BFF, has died
Last month the internet fell in love with Norma, an 89-year-old California woman, when her adorable friendship with her 31-year-old neighbor went viral. And now together we must mourn her passing.
Chris Salvatore, her BFF who cared for her in her final days, announced her death Thursday on Instagram, saying "It's with a heavy heart that I share the news that earlier this morning the world lost a truly inspiring, beautiful woman."
Cook was diagnosed with leukemia 10 years ago, and as her health began failing in the past year her young friend stepped into the role of primary caregiver.
Salvatore met Norma when he moved into the apartment building where she lived four years ago. They became fast friends, and he began chronicling their adventures on Instagram, using the hashtag #MyNeighborNorma.
The pair enjoyed a massive amount of media attention after their story went viral, and Chris even managed to raise $70,000 for her care and living expenses with a GoFundMe campaign. Norma was thrilled with her newfound fame.
It remains to be seen whether Chris, an actor and musician, will continue to stay in the spotlight now that Norma is gone. But for now, he is mourning the loss of his cherished friend. We can only hope that he'll play his keytar at her funeral.
Cassie Murdoch is Mashable's Culture Editor.. Before coming here, Cassie was Senior Culture Writer at Vocativ. She previously wrote for Jezebel and The Hairpin. Cassie spends most of her time thinking about and consuming cheese in all its glorious forms.
