ST. LOUIS – A small space heater is one of Karen Burse’s only defenses against the dangerous cold. The furnace inside her unit at the Arlington Grove Apartments in north city has been broken for longer than she can remember.

“The maintenance man kept coming and like patching it up, patching up, and it kept not working,” Burse said.

The thermostat read 57 degrees when FOX 2 visited Thursday.

“I need help because with me being paralyzed like this, it’s really dangerous for me to be here like this,” she said.

A few years ago, a fall left Karen paralyzed from the waist down. It’s a condition she says only complicates how often she’s able to make in-person pleas to the property managers to fix the furnace.

“She’s like, ‘OK, we’re going to get it done. I’m glad you came around here,’ but what’s the purpose of coming around there if you keep sweeping it up under the rug?” Burse said.

With snow and ice on the ground and temperature lows in the single digits, Karen needed help fast. FOX 2’s Mike Colombo stopped by the property management office, and though no one answered, a few calls and emails finally got the ball rolling.

Just hours after we first made contact, there were crews at Karen’s replacing the furnace.

“You had no heat. We return 24 hours later; you have a new furnace. How good does that feel?” asked Colombo.

“That feels great!” replied Burse.

The Arlington Grove Apartments are managed by McCormack Baron. The company responded with a statement that reads, in part:

“Property managers had identified and ordered repairs for the impacted units. With the extreme weather and specific requirements for repairs on these units, there have been unexpected delays. We encourage any resident to let building managers know if they are experiencing any problems or need additional assistance, especially during this extreme weather. The safety and comfort of our residents is always our primary concern and priority.”

The old furnace was shown the door, and the new one is keeping the place nice and toasty.

“I’m glad I had some people that would advocate for me on my behalf,” Burse said. “That’s my favorite news station. You did an excellent job. You did a great job.”

A heart and home warming resolution to melt away Karen’s winter woes.