Bronx woman in critical condition after fall in NYCHA stairwell

Moses Kuwema

A Bronx woman Eleanor Dowe, is in critical condition after plunging in the stairwell, from the 19th to the 18th floor of the New York Housing Authority building on 1270-72 Webster Avenue because the elevators were faulty.

In an interview with Parkchester Times, Al Quattlebaum, who is the President of See Us Rise Above, a community based organization that looks out for the welfare of community members, blamed Dowe's fall on the NYCHA's negligence.

"Ms Dowe has put in several tickets with the NYCHA for the elevators to be fixed dating back from August last year and the elevators have been in disrepair.

"The faulty elevators in her building have not been making stops on the 19th floor where her apartment is located," Quattlebaum said.

"On January 2, 2020, at 7:30 am, she had no other choice but to take the stairs one flight down to the 18th floor where the elevator was stopping to meet the Access A Ride that was taking her to her kidney dialysis appointment. Tragically, because of the unkempt conditions, she fell from the 19th floor down to the 18th floor."

Quattlebaum explained that because of the faulty elevators, even the paramedics that responded to Dowe's emergency took long to get to her because they had to use the stairs to the 18th floor.

"They rushed her to the emergency where they found that she had bleeding in her brain and her head was swollen. She then had to go into emergency surgery and now she is in a coma.

"Because of the horrible fall, the prognosis is not right; the bleeding in the brain seems not to be stopping, and she may not make it another day.

The doctors have informed the family that if she does pull through, there could be a possibility that she will never talk or walk again," Quattlebaum said.

Quattlebaum said after the NYCHA heard that the family was about to go public with a press conference scheduled for Tuesday at 1:30 pm, they repaired the elevators.

"Now both of them are currently working because they fixed them today since they heard we are bringing this information to the public," Quattlebaum said.

"Why were the elevators in disrepair? Does it take Ms Dowe to cling to her life for the elevators to be repaired? We want the people know what is going on. We also want NYCHA to know that we are watching them and we are going to keep them accountable. We are going to make sure this does not happen again."

On See Us Rise Above, Quattlebaum said the grassroot organization works with communities to provide food pantries and also assists in taking care of other community needs.

"Wherever, we are needed, we are there to assist our community. In this COVID-19 era however, its been difficult because you have to keep in mind social distancing but we have to get it done because people are hurting. People need the services. Sometimes we have to put other people's needs in front of our own. That is what we do," concluded Quattlebaum.