FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A paraplegic woman is expressing her gratitude to the Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue team for their heroic efforts in carrying her up several flights of stairs to her downtown condominium when elevator services abruptly stopped.
Haleigh Rosa, 34, a former television reporter in North Dakota, sustained a life-altering injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She has since dedicated her time to advocating for the rights of the disabled community. “I was injured in a car accident eight and a half years ago so I’m paralyzed from the waist down and I use a wheelchair,” said Rosa.
On Monday, a flood within her downtown Fort Lauderdale condo resulted in the suspension of elevator operations, leaving Rosa stranded on the 31st floor of her building.
“Apparently there was a pipe that had burst and created a flood in some units, I believe, in the hallway and the elevators flooded as well or had water damage so they were out of use,” said Rosa.
In a show of unwavering commitment to public service, firefighters were promptly dispatched to her aid. “My building had initially called them [Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue] because I have a lot of people in my building that know, obviously, that I am in a wheelchair so there was no way for me to get up alone.”
With Rosa’s safety in mind, they hoisted her onto their backs and carried her up 13 floors to her unit on the 44th floor. “When they arrived, we were figuring out how they were going to get me down, whether it was downstairs or upstairs, what was going to be the best way for them,” said Rosa. “I mentioned I was going to take a TikTok of this so that’s what I did.
Rosa, tech-savvy in her own right, harnessed the power of social media to share her remarkable experience. She posted the video to TikTok chronicling her adventure, which rapidly gained traction and resonated with viewers. “They had to get to 44, so they had to go about 13 flights with me on their back,” said Rosa. “One of them had the wheelchair and two of them took turns carrying me on their back.
Since it was posted, the video garnered more than 5 million views and counting. “They work hard and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a piggyback ride in the past eight and a half years, so it was just kinda a funny little thing,” said Rosa.
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