An ordinary Monday afternoon turned into a nightmare for a Canadian mother when she noticed her apartment was suspiciously quiet and brighter than usual. Sajedeh Taheri was horrified to discover that her four-year-old son, Eliyah Pirani, had fallen from their sixth-floor apartment in the Sandy Hill neighborhood of Ottawa.
'I thought, why is it so quiet suddenly? Why's there extra light coming in the building? What happened? Where is Eliyah? I called him,' Taheri told CTV News. She then realized her son had accidentally plunged out of a window that was not supposed to fully open.
After making the tragic discovery, she sprinted outside barefoot and called 911. The family said the windows in their apartment are typically closed but were cracked open because of the hot weather. They added that other windows in the unit never fully opened.
Homestead, the rental company managing the unit, said in a statement that window restrictors are required in its buildings and should not be altered. 'We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the child's family, loved ones and all those affected,' Homestead said.
The company added that residents' safety is a top priority and that they had not received any complaints regarding window restrictors, but would inspect all units following the tragedy. Eliyah's aunt told CTV that management later came to safeguard the window and inspect the unit without coordinating with the parents.
Taheri and Eliyah's father, Mohammad Pirani, said they wanted the public to know that they are caring parents. 'We were not irresponsible parents. That's it. We were caring parents. This is what people, they need to hear,' Pirani said.
Eliyah's parents described him as a loving child who adored animals, nature, and painting, and was a kind brother to their other child. Pirani added that Eliyah was a gift from God. According to Taheri's Facebook account, the family is from Tehran, Iran, and the couple has been married since 2017. Pirani's Facebook account lists him as an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa, while Taheri is a mechanical design engineer.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the family, Ottawa Police, and Homestead for comment.
