Every tragedy, big or small, leaves behind victims and loved ones whose lives are inalterably changed. In some cases, survivors find themselves driven to become activists or advocates, finding meaning in the tragedy by fighting whatever caused it. There are many examples making headlines all over the country. Chris Hurst was an evening news anchor at WDBJ in Roanoke, Virginia, when his girlfriend, Alison Parker, a reporter, and her cameraman, Adam Ward, were shot and killed during a live interview one morning in August 2015.
A force for change: Coping with grief through activism and advocacy
Zadroga Act campaign to target students and teachers who attended downtown schools circa 9/11
It's not just cops and firefighters who rushed to Ground Zero coming down with Sept. 11-related cancers - students and teachers at downtown schools are getting sick, too. Officials are launching a campaign to urge former schoolkids and neighborhood residents to sign up for federal help, after at least 22 students and teachers were diagnosed with cancer. More.
Residents, workers sickened after 9/11 qualify for federal help, but many don’t know it, officials say
City officials want people who lived and worked near ground zero in the aftermath of 9/11 to know they may be covered under the Zadroga act if they become sick. The collapse of the Twin Towers exposed thousands of people to potentially deadly toxins in the dust that settled over lower Manhattan and part of Brooklyn. More.
Cancer cluster at top NYC school near Ground Zero, grad says
Firefighters and other first-responders who worked at Ground Zero aren’t the only ones suffering 16 years later from exposure to toxic debris. Local school kids who are now young adults have come forward, revealing they’ve battled cancers and lung diseases covered by the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. More.
A Moment of Silence to be Held at the Survivor Tree Following Attack in Lower Manhattan
One World Trade Center lit up in red, white, and blue after deadly NYC truck attack
One World Trade Center lit up in red, white, and blue after deadly NYC truck attack took the lives of at least 8 people. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the display, according to a statement from his office. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the display, according to a statement from his office. More.
Queens firefighter Robert Tilearcio — who fought for Zadroga Act — dies at 58 of 9/11-linked tumor
The first time Queens firefighter Robert Tilearcio traveled to Washington, D.C. to fight for the extension of the Zadroga Act, he stood on his own two feet. The last time he went to the Capitol, he was in a wheelchair, a victim of a 9/11-related illness - the very threat he had worked to protect his brothers from. Tilearcio, 58, died of a brain tumor on Wednesday, his heartbroken family said. More.
How The Survivor Tree from 9/11 Lives On
As the dust began to settle on lower Manhattan, and rescue and recovery workers made their way through the rubble, they came upon a tree. Although this tree had snapped roots and burned branches, it was alive — it had survived. This one tree, survived the World Trade Center attacks. Barely alive, it endured following years of off-site intensive care and rehabilitation by The New York Parks Department. More.