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San Francisco Chronicle
09-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘Whole life ahead of her': UC Berkeley senior paralyzed following fall
A UC Berkeley senior has spent weeks recovering in an Oakland hospital after a devastating fall left her paralyzed from the waist down, her father said. Bandna Bhatti, 22, is close to a week away from graduating, but instead of attending the ceremony, her father said, she will hopefully be thousands of miles away, at a spinal cord specialty hospital in Chicago. 'She has her whole life ahead of her,' Baljinder Bhatti, Bandna's father, said. 'As a parent, whatever it takes, I want to make sure she walks again.' Bandna fell at least 12 feet from outdoor metal stairs at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house on Piedmont Avenue on April 19, KTVU reported, before landing in a narrow passageway. Students were celebrating Cal Day, when newly admitted students visited the campus, and Bandna was found about 15 minutes after the fall, the TV station reported. Bandna's family told KTVU that she was brought into the fraternity house before being moved to a friend's apartment, where 911 was called about seven hours later. Bandna's injuries were significant: a brain bleed, a dural tear with spinal fluid leakage, a fractured scapula and broken bones, according to a GoFundMe page from her sister. Baljinder said that while Bandna is recovering, one of the most concerning injuries is that her T12 vertebrae in her spine was shattered, contributing to her partial paralysis. Baljinder said that Bandna turned 22 while in the hospital on Saturday, an occasion that brought family and friends to her room. 'A lot of students came and brought flowers and tried to make her happy,' Baljinder said. 'We're doing our best…' Bandna's father said that she has been concerned about her ability to recover from the accident and was moved to tears the following day when her friends ran a half marathon to fundraise for her care. Her friends asked donors to pledge $5 per mile to cover 'vital funds for Bandna's recovery,' according to a GoFundMe organized by Bandna's sister Sonya. Nearly $113,000 was raised on the site as of Thursday. 'She was crying that she's not there. She was crying. It was really hard,' Baljinder said. 'That's the first time I've ever seen her crying that bad.' Her friends have been 'very helpful' in setting up events and checking on Bandna, Baljinder said. Sonya wrote that Bandna's injuries 'are not only life-altering but will require extensive and ongoing medical care, including physical therapy, rehabilitation and specialized support to help her navigate this new chapter.' The donations will be used for specialized care, adaptive equipment and home modifications 'to help Bandna regain as much independence as possible,' Sonya wrote. Bandna is an active athlete, Baljinder said, playing tennis and softball through high school. He said she's always been an excellent student, graduating at the top of her class from Ceres High School with various awards. Bandna is scheduled to graduate with a degree in data science, Sonya wrote on the donation page. 'She's a very good kid,' Baljinder said. 'There's very few people like this.' Baljinder said that Bandna has always been kind and polite, and even while in pain in the hospital has taken care to address nurses and doctors politely. 'Bandna is a brilliant, compassionate, and resilient young woman who has worked tirelessly toward her dreams,' Sonya wrote. UC Berkeley said they were aware of the incident, and could not confirm confidential student matters. 'Our thoughts are with the student, their family, loved ones and friends during this time,' university spokesperson Adam Ratliff said in a statement. 'We are following our protocols to offer support to the student and their family.' The university said the Berkeley Police Department was the agency in charge of investigating the fall. Police confirmed they responded to a 911 call in the evening of April 19 about a fall and found a 'young female that presented with altered mental status.' Baljinder is hopeful that within a week, Bandna could be stable enough to be transported to Chicago to get help from a spinal cord specialist in hopes that she could walk again. For now, Bandna's father is continuing to commute back-and-forth between the hospital and his job as a construction worker in Ceres, just outside of Modesto. While Bandna's mother is staying with her, Baljinder said he has had to continue working. 'It's 24/7. This is the one thing in mind. Sleeping, waking up, anything, eating — it's her,' Baljinder said. 'Very, very painful.' Sonya wrote on the donation page that 'our world was turned upside down' and thanked everyone for their support.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ceres grad remains hospitalized after paralyzing fall at UC Berkeley
A Central Valley High School graduate and current UC Berkeley student remains hospitalized and paralyzed after a 'tragic and devastating fall,' according to a family member's GoFundMe post. On April 19 during Cal Day — an open house event held to welcome newly admitted students — Bandna Bhatti fell from the external stairway at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house and struck her head, a family member told KTVU. KTVU also reported that Bhatti was found at the narrow passageway outside the fraternity house 15 minutes later and taken to her apartment. No one called 911 until around seven hours later. Bhatti suffered several injuries, including a brain hematoma, a tearing of the dura with spinal fluid leakage, a scapular and spinal fracture, the GoFundMe page says. She is currently paralyzed from the waist down. The fall occurred just days before Bhatti was set to graduate with a degree in data science. 'These injuries are not only life-altering but will require extensive and ongoing medical care, including physical therapy, rehabilitation, and specialized support to help her navigate this new chapter,' the GoFundMe page states. 'The journey ahead is extensive and demanding, but with your assistance, we hope to provide the vital resources she requires, specialized care, adaptive equipment and essential home modifications to help Bandna regain as much independence as possible.' The GoFundMe page, which is focused on helping Bhatti receive specialized care and handle medical expenses, has raised over $106,000 as of Tuesday morning. Baljinder Bhatti, Bandna's father, told The Bee on Monday that his daughter has no feeling and movement in her lower body. Matt Arnold, the chief executive officer for the National Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, said in a statement that the fraternity is cooperating with university officials and local authorities in the investigation of the incident 'We are deeply concerned by recent reports of an incident involving a young student who was reportedly injured near the Phi Kappa Tau chapter house at the University of California, Berkeley,' the statement read. 'We are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and are fully cooperating with the university officials and local authorities in their investigation.' Adam Ratliff, campus spokesperson, stated in an email to The Bee that the Berkeley Police Department also is investigating the incident. 'UC Berkeley is aware of an ongoing police investigation regarding reports of a student being injured off-campus near or at a fraternity. Our thoughts are with the student, their family, loved ones and friends during this time. We are following our protocols to offer support to the student and their family,' Ratliff wrote.
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Who is Bandna Bhatti, Indian-origin US student who got paralyzed after falling at a frat house party?
A senior student of the University of California, Berkeley, , has been left paralyzed from her waist down after she fell from a metal staircase at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house during a party. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Indian-origin family has reached out for help on GoFundMe and raised over $97,000 for Bhatti's treatment. Her family is hopeful that she will be able to walk again. But the tragedy took place on April 29, weeks before her graduation in data science. How did Bandna fall? Why there's a police investigation going on The incident took place during the day when her frat house was hosting a party on 'Cal Day' when the campus is thrown open to prospective students. According to reports, Bhatti fell at least 12 feet from an external metal stairway hitting her head and landing in a narrow alleyway. She got a spinal fracture, a torn dura with leaking spinal fluid, a scapular fracture, and a brain hematoma. Laterm sge was diagnosed to have been paralyzed below the waist. Police investigation is going on as bhatti got medical treatment at least seven hours after the fall. For the first 15 minutes, she lay there undiscovered before being found by her friends. When they took her insider the fraternity house, the fraternity members told them to leave. With no one having any idea of the severity of her injuries, she was taken to a nearby apartment. It wasn't until seven hours after the incident that 911 was finally called. "Our beloved sister, Bandna, only 21 years old, was just three weeks away from graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Data Science - a milestone she had worked so hard for - when our world was turned upside down. She is now paralyzed from the waist down. These injuries are not only life-altering but will require extensive and ongoing medical care, including physical therapy, rehabilitation, and specialized support to help her navigate this new chapter," her family wrote in a statement on GoFundMe.
Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Indian-origin UC Berkeley student paralysed after fall at frat party
An Indian-origin University of California, Berkeley, student was left paralysed from the waist down after she fell from an external staircase during a fraternity party, just three weeks shy of graduating. Bandna Bhatti, 21, who was pursuing data science, was attending a gathering at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house on Cal Day, an annual open house event for incoming students and their families, when she slipped and fell from a metal staircase. The fall, estimated at about 12 feet, left her with severe injuries, including a spinal fracture, brain hematoma, and a torn dura (the protective membrane around the spinal cord) resulting in spinal fluid leakage. According to reports from California-based television station KTVU, Bhatti landed on her head in a back alley. She was found approximately 15 minutes later and brought inside, but was reportedly asked to leave soon after. Her friends, unaware of the gravity of her injuries, brought her back to her apartment. It was only seven hours later that emergency services were called. Bhatti remains hospitalised as her family, friends, and the wider UC Berkeley community rally around her. Her sister, Sonya Bhatti, launched a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign to assist with mounting medical costs. 'Our beloved sister, Bandna, only 21 years old… worked so hard. Then our world was turned upside down,' she wrote. 'We received the kind of call no family ever wants to get.' In a statement, UC Berkeley, said: 'Our thoughts are with the student, their family, loved ones and friends during this tough time. We are following our protocols to offer support.' An investigation into the incident is ongoing. Phi Kappa Tau CEO Matt Arnold also extended his sympathies. 'Our thoughts are with the individual and their loved ones during this challenging time,' he said in a statement. 'The health, safety and well-being of all individuals in our community remain our highest priority.' As Bhatti begins a long road to recovery, her friends recently participated in a half-marathon to raise funds, asking supporters to pledge $5 (Rs 421) per mile. 'Bandna is a brilliant, compassionate, and resilient young woman. Now, she faces a long and difficult road ahead,' read the fundraiser's description.
NDTV
05-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Indian-Origin UC Berkeley Student Paralysed After Fall At Frat House Party
Washington: A 21-year-old Indian-origin, who was just weeks away from graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, was paralysed from the waist down after falling from a balcony at a fraternity house party in April. Bandna Bhatti, who is pursuing a degree in Data Science, slipped and fell from an outdoor staircase at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house at around 1 pm on April 19. After the tragic fall, the woman did not receive proper medical treatment for roughly seven hours before her friends finally called 911, according to a report by FOX KTVU. "She cannot walk. She cannot move her body," her mother, Sukh Bhatti, told KTVU. What Happened? According to the family, Bhatti was at a fraternity party on Cal Day at UC Berkeley-- an annual open house for incoming freshmen and their families-- when she fell around 12 feet, landing on a narrow passageway outside the frat house. She struck her head on the way down, where she was left unattended for 15 minutes before being discovered by her friends, her family told KTVU. Her friends then took her inside the fraternity house, but instead of calling emergency services, people at the frat house allegedly asked them to leave the party with her. Unaware of the extent of her injuries, Bhatti's friends took her back to her nearby apartment, the family claimed. Her friends reportedly called 911 around seven hours later. In addition to a spinal fracture that resulted in paralysis, Bhatti had sustained severe injuries, including tearing of the dura with spinal fluid leakage, a scapular fracture, and a brain hematoma, her sister Sonya Bhatti wrote in a GoFundMe page created to raise money for the college senior's medical care. "She is currently hospitalised. These injuries are not only life-altering but will require extensive and ongoing medical care, including physical therapy, rehabilitation, and specialised support to help her navigate this new chapter," the page reads. The page mentioned that Bhatti was just three weeks away from graduating from UC Berkeley with a degree in Data Science-"a milestone she had worked so hard for." University Offers Support UC Berkeley and the fraternity, meanwhile, said they are offering support to the student and her family. "UC Berkeley is aware of an ongoing police investigation regarding reports of a student being injured near or at a fraternity. Our thoughts are with the student, their family, loved ones and friends during this time. We are following our protocols to offer support to the student and their family," the university said in a statement to PEOPLE. "Our thoughts are with the individual and their loved ones during this challenging time. The health, safety and well-being of all individuals in our community remain our highest priority," Matt Arnold, the CEO of the national Phi Kappa Tau organisation, said in a statement to The New York Post.
