South Side letter carrier saves elderly woman’s life after noticing uncollected mail

CHICAGO - A South Side letter carrier is being hailed as a hero for saving the life of an elderly woman.

Dori Carson noticed mail stacking up at one of her customers' homes, prompting her and a neighbor to take immediate action. Fire officials said their quick thinking likely saved her life.

Carson has worked for the U.S. Postal Service for about 12 years and has delivered mail in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood for more than five years. She is well-known and adored by neighbors on South Drake Avenue, and she pays close attention to her customers' habits.

That’s why she knew something was wrong when a longtime resident in her 80s hadn’t collected her mail over Columbus Day weekend.

Carson quickly alerted neighbor Peggy Mason, who called for a welfare check. First responders arrived and found the woman had fallen. She was on the floor for three days, with no way to phone for help. 

"Noticed that my customer had some mail hanging out – that usually doesn't happen, so I just kind of gathered the mail and began knocking on her door, just so I could hand it to her because I know she's elderly. She didn't answer," said Carson.

"So that's when I became concerned because she does live alone and I called for that well-being check. They said that they're not sure how much longer she could survive like that… She was changing a lightbulb and had fallen and they said she was extremely grateful. She was hoping that one of the neighbors would see something and call," Mason added.

The elderly woman was taken to the hospital and she is recovering.