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The Wounded Heroes of 9/11

By Cheryl Thomas
CBNNews.com

CBNNews.com - The slogan coined for the 9/11 tragedy – “We will never forget” – echoes most strongly in the minds of those who “lived” the day. Most of us remember 9/11 because we saw the horrific events unfolding on our TV screens, but others remember because they lost loved ones, or barely escaped death themselves.

Many 9/11 survivors will carry the scars within them for a lifetime.

Some longstanding physical ailments that victims deal with daily are the result of breathing the thick, toxin-laden air at Ground Zero. The most common symptoms, shortness of breath and a persistent cough, were so prevalent among World Trade Center (WTC) workers that the syndrome was dubbed “the World Trade Center Cough.”

One year after 9/11, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study on the health issues of New York firefighters exposed to 9/11’s toxic after-effects.

The study reported that, of those present at the WTC collapse, eight percent had a disabling, persistent cough, and 23 percent had bronchial “hyper-responsiveness” (a marked and increased sensitivity to allergens, resulting in bronchial spasms and sudden airway constriction). Another relentless symptom was gastrointestinal reflux.

Among those affected, less than half had returned to firefighting duties after a seven-month observation period.

But firefighters were only one of the groups of 9/11 victims. Five years later, many others still endure similar disabling physical symptoms.

A new health study, conducted by New York’s Mt. Sinai Medical Center, recently reported that over 70 percent of 9/11 workers were affected with long-term lung problems. It also noted that first responders suffered the worst ailments, and 61 percent of 9/11 workers who had no prior health symptoms, developed symptoms after exposure.

In addition to chronic lung problems, some survivors have suffered more widespread injuries from 9/11, such as being trapped under debris or injured in other ways. A number have been forced to leave jobs, curtail activities, or live a sedentary lifestyle. And others are dependent on a mind-numbing array of prescriptions to ease their pain.

Bonnie Giebfried, a first responder at the World Trade Center, is one of them. For Giebfried, a New York City EMS volunteer firefighter and EMT, and EMT in her local fire department, that day will be forever etched in her memory.

Giebfried first heard about the 9/11 attacks on local radio. When the DJ said a plane had hit the north tower of the Trade Center, she thought it was a joke. Then she discovered it was for real.

She arrived at the Trade Center with her EMS partner, Jen Beckham, just after the second plane hit. She was hardly prepared for what she saw – massive piles of debris, dark, acrid smoke, and everywhere, “trees were on fire, everything was on fire,” she said.

She and her partner were instructed to evacuate people from the South Tower, which they successfully completed. Ten minutes later, the North Tower exploded, throwing their ambulance several hundred feet into a crumpled heap. The fireball from the explosion tore the facing off nearby 1 World Financial Center, trapping her and 30 others against the building, encased in a tomb of superheated rubble.

Blinded by debris and smoke, and suffocating in the burning, polluted air, Giebfried resigned herself to death. Then she heard a loud “pop” -- miraculously, a policeman trapped with her was able to shoot out one of the thick windows, allowing them to escape into the Financial Center.

Giebfried had her first of many asthmatic attacks shortly after.

Despite injuries to her arm, and increased breathing difficulties, Giebfried went on to rescue and treat many other 9/11victims.

She said the experience changed her forever. But sadly, her ordeal did not end that day.

Giebfried’s asthmatic attacks grew in frequency, she developed multiple chemical sensitivities, joint pain and weakness from arm and leg injuries that became so severe she was forced to quit work, plus a host of other ailments.

She was on an emotional roller coaster as well. With bills piling up and no job, plus constant hassles with insurance companies who demanded proof of her illnesses and injuries – some not easy to supply – Giebfried’s desperation increased.

Finally, in 2004, she won a decision for reconstructive surgery, plus a $400 per week award from Workman’s Compensation, but that was only the tip of her financial iceberg. To date, with $60,000 in unpaid bills. Giebfried remains in a bureaucratic nightmare, trying to regain her insurance and her life.

She asks, “Where is the justice? I didn’t sign up for war that day…we became the M.A.S.H. unit and the cavalry, and everyone should get justice…I did my job. I’m just asking you to value my rights.”

John Graham is another 9/11 victim waiting for justice. Graham was a carpenter at Ground Zero, spending months cleaning up debris after the WTC tragedy. He too will never forget that day.

“My lungs are burnt from the concrete dust,” he said.

Graham said that the toxic mix of dust and fumes he breathed destroyed his lungs, and forced him to quit work.

He is now on a battery of strong drugs, and he’s not getting any better. He said, “Every breath I take hurts that much more. It’s exhausting.”

And for countless other 9/11 health victims, every day remains a struggle.

September 11 has taught us some painful lessons, some which are now bearing fruit in 9/11 legislative measures and other actions.

New York’s Gov. George Pataki has signed a bill expanding benefits for 9/11 victims who became sick after working at Ground Zero. And N.Y.C. health officials have issued guidelines to help doctors diagnose and treat disorders related to Sept. 11 toxin exposure.

But despite the strides, some cases, like Bonnie Giebfried’s, still fall through the cracks. The health benefits of a full forty percent of the volunteers Giebfried was part of, are not addressed by recent legislation.

Congress too, is also taking up the subject of 9/11 health-related issues. There is hope that they will decide to set aside funds for the treatment of those suffering with illnesses incurred in one of America’s greatest disasters.

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