4/12/2023 0 Comments 9 11 cleanupBut the program-established to provide health care for 9/11-related ailments in responders and survivors-has had only a bit more than 112,000 members, a fraction of the estimated 410,000 first responders, cleanup crew workers and survivors exposed to all that contaminated air. Not all those deaths can be attributed to conditions linked to Ground Zero exposures: the WTC Health Program tallies members who have died for any reason, including accidents and conditions unrelated to 9/11, in the 20 years since the attacks. As of today, at least 4,627 responders and survivors enrolled in the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program have died. Researchers have identified more than 60 types of cancer and about two dozen other conditions that are linked to Ground Zero exposures. But in the two decades since then, the number of deaths among survivors and responders-who spent months inhaling the noxious dust, chemicals, fumes and fibers from the debris-has continued creeping up. Nearly 3,000 people died during the deadliest terrorist attack in world history. “But many don’t know that tens of thousands of people got sick, and many have died since then from their illnesses contracted at Ground Zero.” “Most Americans just think two buildings came down that day and innocent lives were lost to senseless violence, and that did happen,” Feal says. Feal created a foundation that has been instrumental in fighting to ensure 9/11 responders and survivors receive the health care they deserve for the sacrifices they made. He has since undergone 42 surgeries and developed arthritis in about 80 percent of his body, and he suffers chronic problems with his hips, knees and lower back. He had been working at Ground Zero for five straight days when 8,000 pounds of steel crushed his left foot.įeal spent 11 weeks in the hospital, eventually developing gangrene, losing half of his foot and relearning how to walk. Feal, who hails from Long Island, N.Y., arrived the day after New York City’s iconic buildings came down. Luckily, a host of helpful and detailed lesson plans and resources for educators at many grade levels are now online about how to teach about that awful day and provide valuable topics for discussion.John Feal, now 54 years old, was a supervisor at a demolition company when terrorists hijacked two planes that brought down the World Trade Center buildings-and two others that crashed into the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pa., respectively-20 years ago. There’s no doubt this is a sensitive topic. When I played a video of the crumpling towers, one girl began to tear up and abruptly left the room. Several years ago, when I asked my eighth-grade students about the event, few knew about the attack on the Pentagon or Flight 93 over Pennsylvania. How they got through security with knives and box cutters. How some were trained in Florida pilot schools. We can never forget the United States suffered four hijackings in a span of 90 minutes by 19 hijackers using our own planes loaded with fuel bound for the west coast as incendiary weapons. Which is why teaching 9/11 is truly important. But few have a personal connection to the tragedy. Their only memories may be from relatives lost. Yet, none of today’s K-12 grade students were born then. Suddenly flags were proudly flying everywhere. In the midst of it all, the nation shared a true feeling of patriotism after 9/11. A terrorist attack on U.S. soil of such magnitude had gone unchecked. The horrendous cleanup effort at Ground Zero lasted for years. For months, the shock and horror of the scenes numbed the country and left people feeling somber and imperiled. Thousands of people, covered in dust, reeling in shock, began running along the New York City highways. Mixed messages heard about evacuating or staying put in the second tower seemed beyond frightening. Scenes of the famous 100-plus floors of the iconic Twin Towers collapsing from raging fires that melted steel were appalling. After the second plane hit and the image captured on live television, people were panicking. Our school was just 30 miles away from Manhattan where many worked. Worried parents began showing up at the front office to check out their kids.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |