NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Berkeley, CA, May 9, 2025:A 21-year-old Indian-origin UC Berkeley student is facing a life-altering outcome just weeks before her graduation after a tragic fall during a fraternity house party left her paralyzed from the waist down.
Bandna Bhatti, a senior majoring in Legal Studies, fell approximately 12 feet from an external staircase at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house during Cal Day on April 19, 2025. The fall resulted in devastating injuries, including a fractured T12 vertebra that led to paralysis, a brain hematoma, a broken scapula, and spinal fluid leakage.
Bhatti’s friends reportedly moved her back into the fraternity house after the fall and later helped her walk home, unaware of the severity of her injuries. She lay in pain at her nearby apartment for nearly seven hours before 911 was finally called. She was rushed to Highland Hospital in Oakland, where doctors confirmed her paralysis and other serious injuries.
Bhatti, described as bright and ambitious, had been preparing to become the first college graduate in her immediate family. She is now undergoing intensive treatment and is expected to be transferred to a specialized spinal cord rehabilitation facility in Chicago in the coming weeks.
Her family, who have been by her side since the incident, launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her long road to recovery, including medical expenses, rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, and home modifications. As of this week, the campaign has raised over $113,000.
The Berkeley Police Department is currently investigating the circumstances of the incident, particularly the delayed response in seeking medical attention. Meanwhile, both UC Berkeley and the national Phi Kappa Tau organization have expressed support for Bhatti and her family and are cooperating with the investigation.
Bhatti’s fall echoes a similar 2023 incident involving Jasmine Wang, another UC Berkeley student who suffered injuries after falling from the roof of a different fraternity house on Cal Day. Wang later filed a lawsuit against the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, alleging negligence due to unsafe conditions and excessive alcohol use.
In response to these repeated tragedies, UC Berkeley has been working to tighten safety protocols at fraternity and sorority events. New measures under consideration include mandatory safety training, designated sober monitors at parties, and physical safety enhancements to fraternity properties.
For those wishing to support Bandna Bhatti’s recovery, donations can be made via her GoFundMe campaign online.
