9/11 FDNY 1st responder battles toxic illnesses

Brut America

This 9/11 first responder will never forget that day — but his work at ground zero left him with more than just frightening memories. Special thanks to facebook.com/gary.smiley.12

Transcript

00:00I heard a crack. I was lifted up in the air and I was blown down West Street by the impact of the building coming down.

00:07And I rolled underneath an ambulance, believe it or not, and I was buried under there.

00:139-11 is just not a day. It's a 365-year event for those that responded to there and those that are sick from it,

00:21and those that fight for those that are sick.

00:30It's just an incredible health crisis that is just continuing and continuing.

00:46I remember thinking, that doesn't look like a small plane.

01:01I had some cuts and some bruises. I didn't realize how severely crushed I was.

01:06And several hours later, my kidneys failed and I went into kidney failure and was taken to the hospital where I,

01:12thankfully, they saved my life and I spent a week in the hospital.

01:22We all knew that there was no survivors, so you just shifted to, let's bring everybody home.

01:31I've had multiple sinus surgeries, asthma, extremely bad gastroesophageal reflux disease.

01:49I have a lesion in my ear and my kidney and my spleen.

01:54I've lost most of my balance and my equilibrium.

01:56And then, of course, you have the PTSD stuff that also haunts you.

02:14I've been battling that fight to this day because the pension board does not choose to recognize your illness.

02:24Or they say you're not sick enough.

02:43It's a year-long battle that just doesn't come around one day a year.

02:47So please don't forget us on the 12th of September, but also don't forget about us on May 8th or July 16th or any other day throughout the year.

02:59Because it's there and it's a battle that's fought every day.

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