Toll of 9/11 continues long after the towers fell
The World Trade Center Health Program and the Victim Compensation Fund are open to anyone who was in the exposure zone in the months following the attacks.
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The horrors of September 11, 2001, did not end when the towers fell. In the quarter-century since the attacks, tens of thousands of individuals have been diagnosed with 9/11-related illnesses, with post-9/11 fatalities ultimately surpassing the number of lives lost on that fateful day.
Michael O'Connell was a 25-year-old probationary firefighter with just a few months on the job when he rushed to Ground Zero. "It was just total devastation," O'Connell recalled. "You get down there, it was like you're on the scene of a movie. The thing that stands out to me more than anything is the loss of life."
343 firefighters died on 9/11—including six from O'Connell's academy class. The long-term toll has continued to mount. O'Connell himself developed sarcoidosis, an autoimmune disease that nearly took his life. Today, he dedicates his time to advocating for the World Trade Center Health Program, which offers free healthcare to Ground Zero survivors, and the Victim Compensation Fund. "We actually lose one responder or volunteer a day," O'Connell said. "And it's not going away."
Attorney Nicholas Papain, whose office was blocks from the World Trade Center on 9/11, now oversees compensation claims for over 2,000 firefighters and their families. "Over the last couple of years, there's been a fire department funeral to attend on average every ten days," Papain noted. "So that number unfortunately continues to grow."
The World Trade Center Health Program and the Victim Compensation Fund are open to anyone who was in the exposure zone in the months following the attacks, including office workers, students, and local residents. Currently, roughly 150,000 people are enrolled in the health program.
Federal funding for both programs is secured through the year 2090, ensuring ongoing support for those affected. "I just want people to know that there is help for you," O'Connell emphasized. "If you do wind up getting sick or have one of these ailments, come get the help."
