An elderly couple spends weeks unable to leave their home when their building’s elevator breaks down. NBC6’s Myriam Masihy reports
Maria Garofalo and Frank Eagen have been roommates for four years at a senior living apartment building in northeast Miami.
Garofalo says everyone in the building is elderly, and like her, has some type of medical condition that requires regular doctor visits.
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WATCH HEREBut in early February, they called us saying they hadn’t been able to leave their third story apartment in three weeks because of a broken elevator.
“The problem is the people can't go anywhere. Too many people over here can't go down,” Eagen said.
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The time she went to a doctor’s appointment, Garofalo said she spent two hours going up the stairs to get back home because she is oxygen dependent.
After the couple reached out to the NBC6 Responds team on Feb. 11, we immediately contacted the building’s management AHEPA Senior Living.
“The elevator ... has been out of service for nearly three weeks," they said. “ (We) have been actively collaborating with Schindler Elevator in Miami…who has maintained this elevator; however, it appears that a new part must be ordered to complete the necessary repairs. Due to the age of the elevator, the necessary part for the repair is obsolete and therefore challenging to source,” adding, “We will continue to collaborate with building management to troubleshoot the issue."
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Eagen said after our team got involved, he started to see mechanics working on the elevator. And though they were working to fix the elevator, even sending us pictures of the progress, it took time, so AHEPA agreed to relocate Eagen and Garofalo.
“They sent a letter to Maria, and in the letter, they say they will give us the hotel for the time the elevator will be broken,” Eagen said.
The couple spent a couple of weeks at a hotel until they got the news that they could go home on March 6.
“In the text, they say the elevator is fixed,” Eagen said.
Garofalo said since our team got involved, she felt someone was looking out for them.
“We are happy,” Eagen said.
If, like Maria and Frank, you have a problem you haven’t been able to solve on your own, you can contact the NBC6 Responds team by filling out this form.
