9/11 Survivors Dying from 9/11

By Laura Positano
Staff Writer

Nearly four years ago, innocent civilians were murdered ruthlessly by terrorists crashing planes into the Twin Towers. People from all over, including Long Island, came to assist in the rescue and subsequent recovery mission at Ground Zero. 

Firefighters and other personnel who were there witnessed gruesome things one would normally see in a war zone. Fingers, detached from bodies, sprawled in the toxic soot and human ashes, for long stretches. This was the macabre reality of that day; many people had to dig up the bodies, and often mere remains, of their firefighter brothers (and sisters). 

There was no other option- the fallen were like family, and so a dignified burial was what was commanded. This honorable impetus drove the many sleep-deprived, aching and emotionally drained comrades to devote months to the recovery effort. Unfortunately, there was a price that they’d soon learn they’d be paying. A persisting cough, accompanied by extreme, albeit justified emotional turmoil, leading to depression in many cases. Medication is only helpful to a point- it can not erase the gruesome memories. Repeated nightmares, and persistent flashbacks, led to post traumatic stress disorder being a common occurrence among not only the rescue brethren, but also others who were there. 

Mental health professionals have seen a tremendous rise in demand for their services since 9/11. Firefighters and police officers belong to a stoic culture within society; admitting weaknesses, particularly emotional trauma, is significant. The need for inhalers and respirators, from those who previously were famously sturdy, in vibrant health, only adds to the trauma. Other segments of society, such as students and professionals who were working in the vicinity at the time experience similar deteriorated health- asthma is quite common in the Ground Zero area. 

The irony is that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), under the leadership of Christie Todd Whitman, declared all was well; the air of Ground Zero was safe, despite reports saying otherwise. Consequently, many of those who heeded her breathed in the unhealthy air for long periods of time, and became ill as a result. Unsurprisingly, they soon filed suit against her and the CDC, because of the deleterious effects of following her advice. Not long after, she resigned, due to all the ensuing controversy. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a World Trade Center Health Registry which observes the quality of health of the thousands of survivors, in terms of physical and mental well-being. According to their study, “ [survivors] are more than three times as likely to have respiratory problems, forty percent as likely to [experience] severe psychological problems, and five times more likely to suffer a stroke.” 

The recent news that an autopsy of a young, thirty four year old police officer showed that his death was connected to his presence at Ground Zero has renewed awareness of this. He wasn’t the first, and, sadly, won’t be the last, to have such an end. According to the CDC’s study connected with the World Trade Center Health Registry, it will be another decade probably until researchers can be certain of any carcinogenic connection to Ground Zero. 

The men and women who are now suffering from potentially crippling mental and physical anguish emanating from 9/11, six years after it happened. Who knows how long this will continue? Employers of survivors and their family, friends, and loved ones, have to accept the reason behind their changed functioning, but it’s not easy. 

These survivors endured something no civilian should ever endure. The government should have been honest with them from the start, immediately after 9/11. Commerce and the economy are important, but health dangers supersede their importance.