New York man carries mom up and down 8 flights of stairs in apartment building

THE BRONX, N.Y. (WPIX) – A man from the Bronx is tired of inconsistent elevator service in his mother’s apartment building. He said the final straw was carrying her up and down eight flights of stairs to her medical appointments.

Anthony Molina loves to visit his mom and go with her three times a week to dialysis. After an hour of waiting for an elevator after one of her appointments, Molina took a picture of his 69-year-old mother, Rosita González, outside of it. Sitting in a wheelchair, she appears tired and weak, and, Molina said, “kind of desperate.”

González is a retired New York City Housing Authority worker with 26 years on the job. Molina said it is not right that she has to wait for the elevator sometimes for hours. 

He calls the elevators, which serve 20 stories, “unreliable.”  

Neighbors, some of which were gathered in a group waiting for the elevator in the lobby, agreed. One of them called the situation “bad, real bad,” while another said the elevator “breaks down every day.”

Gonzalez said she is lucky she has three sons to help her when both elevators are broken, but it’s still not easy to cope.  

A NYCHA spokesperson told WPIX the problem is being resolved:  

This building is in the process of receiving brand new elevators as part of our modernization efforts. While one elevator is under rehabilitation, the other is experiencing a significant increase in use, resulting in more wear and tear. We understand residents’ concerns and are working closely with the vendor charged with elevator upkeep at this location to ensure that it is properly maintained to prevent service outages and restored as quickly as possible when one occurs.

NYCHA spokesperson

The spokesperson added that the housing authority appreciates the residents’ “partnership and patience.”