Feature News Article:  Forgotten to the Max: Sick Montana Town Gets Aid While WTC Heroes Stay Forgotten

12.27.09  NY Daily News--As Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson did, as Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu did, as Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd did -
and as New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand did not do - Montana Sen. Max Baucus (right) got a big special something for his state in the Senate health care bill.

The Great Falls Tribune of Great Falls, Montana reported: "The bill has several provisions that could help Montana, including ... special help for the people of Libby, whose exposure to years of asbestos was so severe that the Environmental Protection Agency declared a health emergency...  Read More 

An Air That Kills

World Trade Center, 9/11 & Asbestos


9/11 Health Legislation Initiatives

A Congressional Vote is imminent for H.R. 847 The James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act.  Please help obtain urgently needed healthcare for the 9/11 Community by participating in the intitiatives below:


Locate your Congressional Representative via the link above.  Call, email, write or fax your support of H.R. 847 The James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act.


Contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi via the link above.  Write, email or call to pledge your support of the bill and urge that it be brought to the floor for a vote.


Contact House Majority leader Steny Hoyer via the link above.  Write, email or call to pledge your support of the bill and urge that it be brought to the floor for a vote.


Contact United States President Barack Obama via the link above.  Email or write to pledge your support of the bill and urge that the president fast track it for signature.


Sign the online petition in support of the bill via the link above.  Please forward on so others may aid in helping pass 9/11 Health legislantion.



H.R. 847 Resources

1 Pager HR 847.pdf

Key Provisions HR 847.pdf

Q&A HR 847.pdf

Summary HR 847.pdf


Rep. Maloney’s 9/11 Health Page




9/11 Health Now:  Our Mission

Dedicated to health, hope and healing

within the 9/11 Community.


Read More

Donate



Fallen Heroes: FDNY Jim Ryan

FDNY Jim Ryan, 48, of Kings Park NY succumbed to a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer on 12.25.09.  Ryan, of Engine Co. 320/Ladder 167 in Flushing (Queens), worked for months at Ground Zero sifting through toxic rubble.  Both Ryan’s doctors and family belive his cancer was 9/11-related.  Ryan made a plea to Congress this past November on the eve of a 11.18.09 rally in which 9/11 groups advocated for the passage of pending health legislantion the James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act.  “...(The bill) is about all the guys who are going to come after me, and there's going to be plenty of them...  I don't think (we)'ve even seen the tip of the iceberg yet...”  Ryan is survived by wife Magda, two sons, a daughter, and three siblings.    Read More   12.29.09 Funeral  12.29.09 Video  12.28.09 Story 12.27.09 Story   12.27.09 Obituary     12.26.09 Story   11.19.09 Story



Editorial: The Time is NOW to Bring Relief to America’s 9/11 Families


Claire Calladine

9/11 Health Now

Public Address 9.11.09 NYC


Good evening, my name is Claire Calladine and I am executive director and co-founder of 9/11 Health Now. I met 9/11 Health Now’s other co-founder David Miller on 9.11.07 at a First Responder benefit, where he was speaking out on behalf of the 9/11 Community.  David is a wonderful speaker: eloquent, forceful, bold... but he kept pausing for breath at the podium and to clear his lungs.  He was also hooked up to a portable oxygen machine that he breathed through as he spoke...  Read More


Download Time Is NOW 9.11.09 .pdf




Fallen Heroes: NYPD Robert Grossman


NYPD officer Robert ‘Robbie’ Grossman passed away in Port Jefferson, NY on 10.09.09 at age 41 after a three year battle with brain cancer that his family and physician link directly to World Trade Center toxins.  Grossman graduated from the police academy in 1994, and was assigned to the 28th precinct in Harlem.

On September 11, 2001, Grossman rushed to Ground Zero along with thousands of NYPD, FDNY, EMS and other rescue workers, spending weeks at the site.  He continued to work within the NYPD until 9/11 illness forced him to retire in 2007.  Known for his sense of humor, strength, and love of life, Grossman is survived by wife Carla, son Noah, 6, father and stepmother Stephen and Rochelle Grossman, mother and stepfather Harriet & Morton Epstein, and seven siblings.

Newsday Story   Daily News Story   Funeral Footage   9.16.09 Story



Eight Years After 9/11, Ground Zero Volunteer Dying of Lung Disease is One of Many Still Fighting for Justice



















9.11.09 --NY, NY, Democracy Now-- Today marks the eighth anniversary of 9/11, with vigils being held to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. We look at a group of victims that are often forgotten in the September 11 narrative...  Read More



Feature News:  9/11 Health Legislation Pending as Responders Battle Cancer & Other Ailments












9.8.09  MYFOXNY.COM--In the eight years since the Sept. 11 attacks, doctors have been monitoring the health of the thousands of responders who worked at and near Ground Zero.  Over the years, doctors say they've found an increase in conditions such as asthma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even cancer...


Fallen Heroes:  FDNY John McNamara                      April 26, 1965 - August 9, 2009

FDNY John McNamara, 44, passed away on 8.9.09, after a 3-year battle with cancer.  ‘Johnny Mac’, as he was known within the FDNY and 9/11 communities, served 10 years at Brooklyn’s Engine 234/Ladder 123, & was also a member of the Blue Point (Long Island) fire dept.  He worked 500 hours at Ground Zero, and also deployed to New Orleans during the Hurricane Katrina disaster.  MacNamara co-founded the non-profit NYC Firefighter Brotherhood Foundation, advocating for 9/11 health awareness all the way to his death.  He is survived by wife Jennifer and 2 year old son Jack. (photo: Allan Tannenbaum)

Huffington Post Tribute   Daily News Article    HDTV2 Article

Press Conference   Newsday Article   Joye Brown Ediitorial

Newsday Funeral Article & Video    NY1 Funeral Article & Video

John MacNamara Video   Russia Today Story   Adam’s Angels Page

Jet Nation Tribute


Feature News Report:  Hundreds of 9/11 First Responders Die of Cancer

.









8.24.09  Russia Today--New York's emergency services were among the first on the scene of the 9/11 disaster but put their personal safety in jeopardy. Those involved in the rescue and clean-up operation quickly became national heroes. But now...   Full Story


Feature News Article

The Forgotten Victims

July 2009  PBA Magazine--It will be a shame if the U.S. Congress marks the eighth anniversary of 9/11 — which is just around the corner — by enacting the so-called Zadroga bill.

The proposed legislation — meant to provide treatment for first-responders and others suffering from ailments related to their work in the rescue-and-recovery effort in the aftermath of history’s deadliest terrorist attack on American soil — will actually do little or nothing for the police officers that we call the forgotten victims...  Read More


Download Now:  9/11 Health Guides


Clinical Guidelines for Adults Exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster  21-page guide by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene detailing types of 9/11 illnesses and guidelines for patients and physicians on diagnosis and treatments.

WTC Clinical Guidelines 2008.pdf


Clinical Guidelines for Children & Adolescents Exposed to the World Trade Center Disaster  16-page guide to 9/11’s effects on the younger population includes charts on toxic exposures, diagnosis and treatment issues, long-term ramifications, list of resources & more.

WTC Clinical Guidelines Children & Adolescents.pdf




Filmmaker Brian Johnson profiles 9/11 responder John Citara’s odyssey from Ground Zero civilian volunteer to a life revolving around chronic illness and the ongoing sruggle to survive. 

View Trailer

Visit Film Website

More Film Info:  Part 1 Part 2


Voices of 9/11:  Community Members Speak Out on How 9/11 has Affected Their Lives & Health



Hear FDNY Responder John McNamara, left, on living with World Trade Center cancer. (click on image)

(Photo and Video clip: Allan Tannenbaum)



Steve Centore, New Bern NC, right, in hospital, after undergoing an emergency liver transplant:  “Time is running out for many ill and injured first responders...”


Read Steve’s Book     Press Release


Laura DiPasqua, Erie PA, left, with sons Anthony & Joe: “Since 9/11, I fight for my life every single day...”


More Voices of 9/11...



In The Spotlight: The James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act of 2009

Read 9/11 Health Now’s 2008 Letter to Congress on this all-important piece of legislation...

Read Laura DiPasqua’s Letter to Congress about how her life has changed since 9/11 and why she desperately needs the Zadroga act to pass. (pictured above, with sons Anthony and Joe at the 2.26.08 Rally for 9/11 Health in Washington DC.)



9/11 Physicians Speak Out


Hear Mt. Sinai’s Dr. Philip Landrigan on the World Trade Center Workers’ Toxic Exposures

“...The mix of chemicals is very complex...  in concentrations that were very high...  in a mixture that’s previously never been encoutered...”

Hear Testimony   More WTC Worker Testimonies

Read Dr. Landrigan’s Discover Magazine Interview World Plague Center


Hear Mt. Sinai’s Dr. Robin Herbert on the Health Effects of World Trade Center Dust

‘..We know that the exposures included a potent mix of carcinogens...’

Listen to Interview



Feature News Articles


PBA Says 9/11 Health Bill Might Exclude Some Cops:

Too High a Burden of Proof?


5.1.09  The Chief--by Ari Paul--The head of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (right) has come out against the current language of a bill that would secure permanent funding for 9/11-responder health treatment and monitoring, saying that it sets standards that would make it difficult for his members to get medical care.


PBA President Patrick J. Lynch in a statement April 21 said that the language of the James Zadroga Act would set a burden of proof for World Trade Center responders with cancer so difficult to meet that it could keep them from getting health-care treatment, while the bill had specific language for treatment of less-dire ailments such as carpal tunnel syndrome...  Full Article    PBA Press Release



Obama Says He’ll ‘Never Forget’ Those Sick From 9/11


2.13.09  Downtown Express--President Barack Obama last week renewed his pledge to help 9/11 first responders who are sick, a campaign promise his staff first made to Downtown Express in October.
Obama’s words came Friday during a meeting with about 40 family members of those killed on 9/11 and in the U.S.S. Cole attack. Obama spoke, took questions and greeted each of the attendees individually.  When Obama reached Jim Riches, a deputy chief in the F.D.N.Y. whose firefighter son was killed on 9/11, Riches handed Obama his son’s mass card. “I said, ‘Don’t forget them,’” Riches recalled afterward.  “I said, ‘Remember the firemen who died

and the sick firemen.’ He said, ‘I’ll never forget them.’”  Read More



A Cloud of Smoke:

The Complicated Death of a 9/11 Hero


9.15.08  The New Yorker--In January, 2006, shortly after James Zadroga died at his parents’ house, in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, Dr. Gerard Breton received a call from the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office. A retired hospital pathologist, Breton now conducts autopsies for the county on contract. Compared with its more violent neighbors—Newark, to the north, and Atlantic City, to the south—the central New Jersey shore tends to generate uncomplicated deaths: heart disease, liver failure, sunstroke. Zadroga’s death, at the age of thirty-four, was different...

Read More...


More 9/11 Articles


9/11’s Toxic Legacy

Regina Cervantes, Volunteer EMS Worker:  “By September 14th, my airway was so burned I could barely speak.  Now I have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastro esophageal reflux disease, chronic asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks…”


David Miller, National Guard (pictured,below):   “I've got Mesothelioma, skin cancer, head and neck cancer, COPD--Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, nausea from the chemo, insomnia, cardiac issues-my heart has to pump so hard to get
oxygen to my obstructed lungs, it's become damaged in the process…”


Listen to David on the plight of the First Responders in a meeting with Dennis Kucinich.


John Feal, Demolition Supervisor:  “An 8-ton steel beam crushed my foot at Ground Zero.  I got gangrene and almost died.  I've had multiple surgeries and two amputations. Pulmonary disease?  Puh-lease--everyone who worked on the pile has that-it's inescapable…”


John Sferazo, Steelworker, who now takes 26 medications a day due to Ground Zero illness: “...Now I'm lucky if I can run a city block without dropping dead…”   View John in the Sierra Club film Forgotten Heroes


The 9/11 Health Crisis

On September 11, 2001, tens of thousands of Americans converged on New York City's World Trade Center site in one of the most impassioned rescue and recovery efforts in the history of the country.  Unbeknownst to these American patriots, the conditions at Ground Zero--in spite of Federal and State warnings to the contrary--were exceedingly toxic: hundreds of contaminants, including asbestos, lead, mercury and benzene--to name a few-were present in unprecedentedly high levels, both within the billowing dust cloud that settled over Lower Manhattan and the surrounding areas, and in the emissions from the pile that smoldered for months afterward during the cleanup...           Read More...


Rally for 9/11 Health U.S. Capitol 2.26.08

Over one hundred 9/11 Responders and their families rallied at the U.S. Capitol on February 26, 2008 to protest the 77% budget cuts in 9/11 Healthcare funding for fiscal ‘09, plus the canceling of plans for the World Trade Center Business Process Center,
which would have provided monitoring and treatment for the 10,000-plus Responders who reside outside the greater New York area. Responders and officials alike clamored for the passage of the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. (H.R. 3543; updated versions H.R. 6594, 7174 & 847). Also known as the James Zadroga Act, the bill would provide monitoring and treatment to all those sickened by Ground Zero toxins. Co-organized by 9/11 Health Now and the FealGood Foundation, the rally featured elected officials Dennis Kucinich (D-OH, pictured right), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Tim Bishop (D-NY), who spoke out on the urgent need for 9/11 Healthcare. View Photo Gallery...     Read Media Articles...   View Media Clips



9/11 Activist: John Feal

During the 9/11 rescue and recovery mission, First Responder John Feal escaped near-death when an 8-ton steel beam toppled onto his foot.  Two amputations and multiple surgeries later, Feal was back on his feet, but demoralized by what he saw: the 9/11 Community was reeling--from respiratory disease, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, cancers and other ailments due to Ground Zero's toxic aftermath.  Bitter that aid for America's heroes was not forthcoming, Feal transformed his anger into advocacy, speaking out to the public and elected officials for the urgent need for 9/11 health care.  In 2005,
John established the FealGood Foundation, a non-profit charity dedicated to aiding the 9/11 Community.


“I became an advocate once I realized I have a choice,” Feal declares.  “I can sit around and feel sorry for myself, or I can fight back and help others."  Mention politics, and John bristles: "With power, comes responsibility: as elected officials, you're elected to serve and protect.  Well, 90% of our country's leaders are not serving and protecting, and 9/11 heroes are dying because of it.”  Feal continues: "As a country, we took one on the chin on September 11. We got knocked down, but we bounced back up to move forward. But in the process of moving forward, we forgot what we left behind. And that's about 40,000 people that are sick and dying…”


Read John’s 9.5.07 CAP Interview
.


View John in the Sierra Club film Forgotten Heroes.


View John Feal and Glen Klein’s Star Jones Interview.


View John’s 2.26.08 Fox News Interview at the Rally for 9/11 Health at the US Capitol (above).





 

In The News


1.7.09  Future of 9/11 Health Bill Still Uncertain

1.5.10  Settlement Pressure Builds for Parties in 9/11 Injury Cases

1.4.10  9/11 Health Advocates Press Obama on Campaign Promise


1.4.10  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Corners President Obama on 9/11 First Responders - and is Rewarded


More In The News




Quotes from the Pile



Mike McCormack, Emergency Medic who has been battling 9/11 illness for seven years.


View Mike in the Sierra Club film Forgotten Heroes

(Photo: Allan Tannenbaum)

“What I want to ask Congress is:  Why are they leaving us like this?...”






9/11 Health Now co-founder

David Miller,  (photo: Scott Star)


David’s Profile



“...9/11 took everything

from me: my money,

my job, my health...

It took my whole life...”



9/11 Health Crisis News Photos




EMT Bonnie Giebfried, left, with Paramedic Marvin Bethea at a 1.26.06

health rally displaying a poster of

medications Bethea must take since

his Ground Zero service.





The 9/11 Cover Up

World Plague Center












9/11 Report: Messages in the Dust


Comprehensive report by the UK’s NEHA-National Environmental Health Association- analyzes 9/11 and its toxic aftermath with lengthy focus on the enviromental and heath issues.




9/11 Photographer on a Mission


Allan Tannenbaum’s camera has been documenting 9/11 from the moment the first plane hit.  His photo essay 9/11: Still Killing is a shattering portrait of lives in which 9/11’s legacy lives on.

Read More...



Read Kristen Lombardi’s article Death by Dust









9/11 Health Books


One of Them: A First Responder’s Story

by Steven M. Centore


Former Department of Energy worker Steve Centore’s memoir of his Ground Zero service and resulting deadly illnesses are a searing indictment of government denial and neglect.

Book Profile

Read Reviews

Buy Book


Fallout: The Environmental Consequences of the World Trade Center Collapse

by Juan Gonzalez


Prize-Winning NY Daily News journalist Juan Gonzalez’s hard-hitting book was one of the first serious attempts at whistle-blowing on the 9/11 Health Crisis.  A must-read to understand the real environmental impacts of the crisis.

Read Reviews

Buy Book



Quotes from the Pile


“On 9/11, we went in with the knowledge that we might not come out. You know what, we’d do it again-cops, firemen, EMS-that’s what we signed on for, it’s what we do…”




William Gleason, (above), former FDNY Lieutenant, Emergency Medical Services, now battling life-threatening lung disease.



“Most of these toxic 9/11 chemicals don’t even have

a safe threshold level.

There is no safe level of exposure...”



Suzanne Mattei,

former Sierra Club NYC Executive.


Sierra Club 9/11 page...



“...We need government to

take the lead... to address this crisis head on...”



Responder Charlie Giles at the 2.26.09 Rally for 9/11 Health in Washington DC.


Read Charlie Giles Speech 2.26.08.pdf from the Rally.



Fallen Heroes: Greg Quibell


First Responder Greg Quibell passed away on August 27, 2008 in Long Island, NY.  Greg had
been battling pulmonary fibrosis, leukemia, and a host of other WTC-related illnesses since 2002.   Greg’s final days were documented in the 9/11 film Save The Brave, in which he advocates for the urgent passage of the 9/11 Health & Compensation Act.  Greg is survived by wife Theresa, four children and two grandchildren.  Read More



WTC Workers Compensation

Filing Deadline Extended To

September 11, 2010


More Info: NYCOSH & NYC/Gov sites


Recent Events


10.24.09  Conference: World Trade Effects: Head to Heart

Presented by seven Mt. Sinai WTC physicians, conference offers an update of latest clinical findings on 9/11 health for categories such as lung, gastro-intestinal, cardiac & more.



View Details



H.R. 847: 9/11 Health Legislation Press Conferences


10.21.09  12:00 Noon, Zucotti Park, Liberty St. & Trinity Place, Lower Manhattan.

View Press Release

We Count 911 Report.pdf


Following the recent deaths of three WTC Responders in five days, 9/11 groups urge Congress and President Obama to pass comprehensive 9/11 health legislation for all affected.


10.24.09  11:00 a.m., PATH Station, World Trade Center 7, Lower Manhattan.

View Press Release

10.3.09 -10.4.09



Breathwork & Meditation Workshops

For the 9/11 Community

Offered by Columbia U. Associate Professor Dr. Richard Brown (left),

2-day session offers breathing and meditation techniques that have proven astonishingly effective in relieving PTSD, sleep disorders & stress.

View Invitation

Read Testimonials

View Dr. Brown’s Video

Dr. Brown’s Website



9.22.09  9/11 Health Forum 


Pulblic health forum hosted by Terry Miles, executive director of the World Trade Center Environmental Health Center.  9.22.09 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Bellevue Hospital Center Old Medical Library, 8th floor, C/D building, on First Ave. between 27th and 28th Sts.

More info




9.24.09 Salute to Firefighters Benefit


Annual event put on by non-profit charity Adam’s Angels at NYC’s Saloon bar features live music, FDNY pipes & drums, raffles & more.  View Flyer



9.13.09  Giant Steps For 9/11


First annual walk to raise money for ailing 9/11 Heroes organized by

ex-NY Giants football great George Martin will have hundreds walking from NY’s George Washington bridge to Giants Stadium in NJ.



6.24 & 6.25.09

Disaster Chaplain Training

New York, NY


Developed by NYDIS

(New York Disaster Interfaith Services), two day seminar educating the clergy on how to adminster during times of crisis.


View Flyer


5.2.09  Brother In Need Fundraiser

Benefit event for Engine 234 Firefighter John McNamara, battling 9/11 cancer for almost 3 years now.  Mulcahy’s Pub & Concert Hall, Wantagh, NY.

View Flyer

NYC Firefighter Foundation



4.5.09  Long Island Pride Jiu Jitsu Championship


Bi-Annual tournament showcasing popular martial arts form donates proceeds to benefit 9/11 Health Now.



3.20.09  Film Screening:

The Toxic Clouds of 9/11

by Alison Johnson


Environmental author and documentarian Alison Johnson profiles 9/11 and its toxic aftermath in this 60 minute film detailing the chemical exposures and their effects on the 9/11 recovery workers and the surrounding population.

Event Details

Film Profile

Alison Johnson Bio


3.28 & 3.29.09  Breathwork & Meditation Workshop for the 9/11 Community


Offered by Columbia U. Associate Professor Dr. Richard Brown (left),

2-day session offers breathing and meditation techniques that have proven astonishingly effective in relieving PTSD, sleep disorders & stress.

View Invitation

Read Testimonials

View Dr. Brown’s Video


2.13.09  FealGood Foundation

Moonlight Bowl


9/11 Responders and families unite on Long Island for an evening of fun and recreation organized by John Feal, Anne-Marie Baumann and Theresa Galoppe

of the FealGood Foundation.


View Flyer

FealGood Founation



1.9.09

Brother-to-

Brother

Presents

‘An Evening of Laughter’



Comedy show with proceeds benefiting FDNY responders suffering from WTC-

related illness features comedians Jim Mendrenos, Les Degan, Danny Lofaro &

Rob White.  Sponsored by Adam’s Angels’ Brother-to-Brother initiative.


View Flyer

Brother-to-Brother

Adam’s Angels




12.20.08  Feal Good Foundation Toy Drive

& Holiday Party


View Flyer



11.1.08  Bradford Street 4 Benefit


Benefit to aid four FDNY responders all battling cancer
Bernard Cornell, Dominick Montalto, Kevin Lennon and Lt. Mike Lopez features live music, food, auctions, and chance to win a new car.

View Flyer




10.18.08  Steps To Heal

Walk-N-Fest for 9/11Heroes


San Diego CA event hosted by Unite in Peace benefits NYDIS (New York Disaster Interfaith Services) and the Feal Good Foundation features group walk, kids activities, meet Responders, keynote speakers, dancing, refreshments & more.

View Flyer


10.02.08  Natural Cancer Approach Lecture, 7 p.m., Long Island NY


The National Cancer Research Foundation (NCRF) is offering a lecture on how a specific nutritional regimen has helped thousands overcome cancer, even ‘lost-cause’ terminal cases.     Read More



9.18.08  Help A Hero: 1000 Served


The New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project is aiming to add the 1000th person to its highly-acclaimed detox program with a 9.18.08 fund raiser.  More info: Help a Hero




  9.13.08  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

  Tournament

  Sporting event showcases

  popular martial arts form

  with proceeds benefiting

  9/11 Health Now.

  Events Flyer click Here




8.28.08  9/11 Film: Save The Brave

New documentary exposes the ravages of 9/11 on the lives of first responders Jim Riches, Greg Quibell, John McNamara and Charles Giles.  Read More



6.14.08



Click here for more info