Sample Letter to the Editor

To Editor:

I was a responder to the World Trade Center after the attack of 9/11 and I live here in ________________.

I am proud of what I did and am grateful for the support I and other responders have received and how so many Americans still hold true to the promise of “Never Forget 9/11” but I have to say that while the country has not forgotten 9/11 and those that died, most do not know the extent of the health problems and financial hardships that injured and ill 9/11 responders and survivors are still dealing with and that too many have died from, years after the attack.

Over 30,000 Responders and Survivors have at least one 9/11 condition and over two thirds have more than one condition and a large number of those suffer from multiple injuries and illnesses.

In the last year, over 20,000 have had some treatment provided by the Health Program.

Over 3,500 have been certified to have a 9/11 related cancer.

Over 800 active duty Fire Department personnel and over 550 NYC Police Department personal have had to retire due to disabling 9/11 injuries.

Over 80 New York Police Department officers and over 80 Firefighters have reportedly died of their 9/11 injuries since 9/11 and more are expected in the coming years and that is just from New York uniformed responders.

Currently there are over 70,000 Responders and Survivors in the World Trade Center Health Program either getting treatment of receiving medical monitoring.

We are in every State and out of 435 Congressional Districts, 429 have at least one 9/11 Responder or Survivor who is participating in the World Trade Center Health program.
It is important that we know these facts since for too long Washington ignored the injuries and illness and only recently has the numbers and extent of the injuries forced a response.

But that response, the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act is due to expired in 2016. The health program will shut down and the Victim Compensation Fund will shut down just as the numbers of cancers from the toxins at Ground Zero are due to increase.

That is why it is important that we tell our representatives in Washington, or Congress members and Senators to support and co-sponsor and pass, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

Let them know that we will not forget 9/11 those that were killed that day and those that were injured.