A beloved grandmother was killed when a fire tore through her New York City apartment, trapping her inside as she was unable to escape in her wheelchair.
Ana Serrano, 80, of the Bronx, was with one of her sons when a violent blaze tore through the second floor of her apartment building on East 169th Street near Morris Avenue earlier this month, according to the Daily News.
Serrano, who lived with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease - a degenerative neurological disorder that left her unable to walk - relied on a wheelchair and had also been told in recent years that one of her lungs was not fully functioning.
Despite her son’s desperate efforts to help her escape, the sheer intensity of the flames along with her limited mobility proved fatal.
The grandmother-of-six was pronounced dead the following day, with doctors believing smoke inhalation was most likely to blame.
'My brother was there when the fire broke and he was the one who did the best he could to get her out of the building,' her other son, 45-year-old Isaí Serrano, told the outlet.
'It’s tough to endure something of this nature - to think about the way that it happened,' he added.
'It’s hard for sure. It’s not what we expected. We knew she was 80 years old and we knew that time was fleeting… so we cherish those moments.'
Ana Serrano, 80, was killed when a fire tore through her New York City apartment, trapping her due to her reliance on a wheelchair
Serrano was with one of her sons when a fire broke out on the second floor of her Bronx apartment building on East 169th Street near Morris Avenue on April 16
Serrano, who lived with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, was unable to walk and was also told in recent years that one of her lungs was not fully functioning
On April 16, an incident alert reported a fire on the second floor of a five-story apartment building at about 2:45pm, prompting an 'All Hands' response and a request for EMS at the scene.
Gerson Serrano was spending time with his mother at her home on what had been an ordinary afternoon when a neighbor knocked on her third-floor apartment door, frantically telling her a fire was breaking out.
'My brother told me they had just been joking around prior to this fire coming through. They were watching a show. They were joking around and he was making her laugh,' Isaí told the Daily News.
'That was her every day. Always smiling through it all,' he added. 'Always a good thing to say. Always caring for everyone else. That’s the type of woman she was. Selfless.'
Gerson immediately rushed to help his mother out of the burning building, doing everything he could before she was transported to BronxCare Health System in critical condition.
Serrano had a pulse when she arrived for emergency treatment and was breathing, Isaí said, 'just not on her own.'
She fought for hours before being pronounced dead just before midnight the day after the fire.
'We were able to sit with her until the last pulse,' Isaí told the outlet.
Serrano's son, Isaí (left), told Daily News that his brother, Gerson (right), rushed to help his mother out of the burning building before she was taken to the hospital in critical condition
Serrano was pronounced dead the day after the fire, with doctors believing smoke inhalation was most likely to blame
Serrano had a pulse when she arrived for emergency treatment and was breathing, Isaí said, 'just not on her own'
Doctors told the family that her cause of death appeared to be smoke inhalation, though they were still awaiting the official ruling from the city Medical Examiner.
Isaí is just one of several family members grieving his mother’s sudden death, saying he never imagined that a hug during a visit to her Bronx apartment just a week earlier would be their last.
He spent the morning through the afternoon with her that day and stayed by her side as she attended a virtual doctor’s appointment.
'I said, "Hey, I'm off work. I'm gonna come to the house and we'll get on the virtual meeting together,"' Isaí told the Daily News.
'Right before I left I have her the strongest hug,' he added in tears. 'I don’t know what came over me. I question myself why I did this, not knowing that was going to be the last time I saw her.'
Serrano’s death was especially difficult for the family, who had held out hope that she would live a long life despite her medical issues.
The family had taken steps to ease her condition in recent years, including setting up an at-home oxygen tank, which Isaí said 'drastically' improved her quality of life.
Born in Puerto Rico, Serrano moved to Manhattan in the 1970s and later met her soon-to-be husband at a church event in Brooklyn.
Born in Puerto Rico, Serrano moved to Manhattan in the 1970s and later met her soon-to-be husband at a church event in Brooklyn
Navigating Serrano out of her apartment grew more difficult over the years, particularly after 2005, when she was widowed and no longer able to make it to church
The family had taken steps to ease her condition in recent years like setting up an at-home oxygen tank, which Isaí said 'drastically' improved Serrano's quality of life
She received her diagnosis of CMT in her 50s, around the same time her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
'With her own ailments, she was a trooper,' Isaí recalled, according to the outlet.
'She picked my father up from the bed, helped him, because it was very immobilizing for him, even though she was going through her own levels of immobility,' he added.
But navigating Serrano out of her apartment grew increasingly difficult over the years, particularly after 2005, when she was widowed and no longer able to make it to church.
'She would join the church Zoom meetings. Local church people would come over to her house and just be with her and hold prayer services with her,' Isaí said.
'They were committed to still making her feel a part of it.'
Isaí remembered his mother as 'joyful,' a talented seamstress who spent years mending clothes and never complained about the chronic pain she lived with.
'She liked to write poems, her son said. 'A birthday card, instead of just writing a message, she would write a poem. She loved doing that.'
The family had taken steps to ease her condition in recent years like setting up an at-home oxygen tank, which Isaí said 'drastically' improved Serrano's quality of life
Serrano received her diagnosis of CMT in her 50s, around the same time her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease
Fire marshals are still working to determine the cause of the fire
Just last year, they celebrated Serrano’s 80th birthday on Thanksgiving, when the whole family gathered with the goal of making it a 'big event for her.'
Isaí said she even made the family take a video of her making her famous stuffing, wanting to preserve the moment so they could watch and learn from it themselves.
In an emotional tribute on Facebook, Isaí wrote: 'I can’t thank God enough for her life, love and sacrifice. Thank you to all that made her smile, made her laugh, loved and served her. Rest in glory Mami we love and will miss you.'
Fire marshals are still working to determine the cause of the fire.