A Fallen Hero - Video Inside

[Gold9472]

9/11 Health Problems Demand Less Talk, More Action

http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2...alth-prob.html

(Gold9472: Way to go Brandon.)

By Brandon Keim
September 14, 2007

911 "Respiratory illness, psychological distress and financial devastation have become a new way of life for many" 9/11 cleanup workers and first responders, Mount Sinai School of Medicine doctor Philip Landrigan told a Congressional committee yesterday. As reported in the Associated Press, 70 percent of the workers "suffered new or worsened respiratory problems after their exposure to the debris of the World Trade Center. The majority suffered from so-called lower respiratory problems -- wheezing, shortened breath, chronic coughs -- that are seen as indicators of serious health problems.

The New York Times recently discussed the work of Landrigan and his colleagues, who work at Mount Sinai's Irving J. Selikoff Center for Occupational Health and Environmental Medicine. After 9/11, the clinic's doctors "stepped into the fray in the absence of any meaningful effort by the city, state or federal government to survey, interview or offer treatment to potentially sickened recovery and cleanup workers." But the clinic has historically strong ties to organized labor, and critics say that it has favored advocacy over strong science, and that the epidemiological data it's provided is patchy and haphazard.

There's probably an element of truth to that, particularly the latter charge: with a tiny budget, no time to plan and just six full-time doctors, the clinic embarked on an "unprecedented epidemiological challenge." Its data isn't as rigorously parsed as it ought to be. In the future, more studies will be needed in the wake of natural and man-made disasters to document their public health effect. But as far as the health of people who breathed the foul post-9/11 air is concerned, the critics are missing the forest for the trees. Data doesn't have to be perfect to be useful, and as patchy as it may be, there's enough to show that a great many people inhaled high levels of burning toxic compounds, and it appears to have harmed them. As the AP notes,

Lingering 9/11-related illnesses and deaths of some first responders years after the attacks have led to calls in Congress for a federal program to fund long-term health programs for those workers.

So far, the government has paid for piecemeal screening and treatment of emergency personnel, construction workers and volunteers, but advocates want such programs expanded to include lower Manhattan residents, students and tourists.

That this should even be debatable is disgusting.

[simuvac]

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/...58&newsLang=en

September 16, 2007 07:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Retired NY Giants Great George Martin Begins ''a Journey for 9/11''

3,200+ Mile Cross-Country Trek from George Washington Bridge to Golden Gate Bridge Will Benefit Thousands of Sick WTC Rescue and Recovery Workers

NFL Alum, AXA Equitable Executive Embarks on Four-Month Journey; Seeks to Raise $10+ Million for Ground Zero Workers Now In Severe Medical Distress

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Retired New York Giants co-captain and Super Bowl champion George Martin will embark today on a physical challenge far more demanding than an NFL training camp when he begins a 3,200+ mile fundraising walk across the United States to benefit sick Ground Zero rescue and recovery workers. The walk, called “a Journey for 9/11,” (www.ajourneyfor911.info) is expected to take approximately four months, and will start at the George Washington Bridge in New York City and end at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Mr. Martin seeks to raise awareness about these health issues and more than $10 million for 9/11 workers who are suffering serious medical conditions related to their efforts at Ground Zero after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

“Thousands of people – first responders, volunteers, construction workers and so many others – unselfishly put themselves in harm's way for months after September 11, and they deserve the best medical attention available,” said Mr. Martin, now vice president of sports marketing for AXA Equitable, which has given him a leave of absence for his Journey. “We need to do as much as we possibly can for any of these workers who are now suffering medically because of their efforts. This Journey is one way I can make a difference, and I invite others to support our mission.”

George Martin was a star defensive end and co-captain of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (1986). In Super Bowl XXI, he famously tackled Broncos quarterback John Elway for a safety in the end zone. During his 14 NFL seasons (1975-1988), Mr. Martin scored seven touchdowns (three on interception returns), which set a record for defensive linemen. He is a former president of the NFL Players Association.

Inspired by a Neighborhood Loss

Mr. Martin feels a personal connection to the events of September 11. A New Jersey resident, two of Mr. Martin’s young neighbors perished in the terrorist attacks. In honor of them and the thousands of firefighters; police officers; EMTs; clergy; construction and other workers; and volunteers who helped dig through the rubble, he hopes to attract the attention of and financial contributions from Americans and businesses coast-to-coast as he treks through towns and cities across the United States for the next four months.

The Medical Problems of Working at Ground Zero

Medical studies now substantiate what many had suspected and claimed for several years – that working at Ground Zero led to serious, long-term medical problems for thousands of people. Studies indicate that 3.6 percent of WTC rescue and recovery workers reported developing asthma after exposure to dust and debris from working at the site, 12 times the rate of the normal adult population. And according to the NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, one in eight of nearly 30,000 WTC rescue and recovery workers developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a condition found to be highest among WTC volunteers http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2007/pr076-07.shtml.

The Start of the Route

“a Journey for 9/11,” a not for profit charitable organization, commences on Sunday, September 16, 2007, at the New York side of the George Washington Bridge. After a brief ceremony there, Mr. Martin, volunteers, philanthropic donors, corporate sponsors and other supporters will join him as he treks across the famed bridge into New Jersey. He will then walk four plus miles to a ceremony at the Hackensack University Medical Center, which along with the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems and the Mt. Sinai Medical Center will match the total funds Mr. Martin’s Journey raises. From there Mr. Martin will walk to Giants Stadium, where he will be honored at halftime ceremonies during the Giants home opener vs. the Green Bay Packers. Legendary Giants alumni will help collect Journey donations from fans outside the Stadium, Mr. Martin will address the crowd and the team will show a career highlights reel to game attendees to give the former defensive end a formal send-off.

The Route and Journey Team

States on Mr. Martin’s Journey include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. On Friday, September 21, he will pass through Washington, DC, for a special event with the NFL Players Association.

The retired NFL great plans to walk approximately 50 miles each day: 12 ½ miles before breakfast, 12 ½ before lunch, 12 ½ in the afternoon, followed by a short rest, and then a final 12 ½ before dinner and bed. Mr. Martin, 54, has been training for more than three months for this endeavor.

Throughout his Journey, Mr. Martin will be accompanied by one security officer and a support team that includes an advance person; a technology specialist who will document the Journey; a medical technician; and a driver, who will drive the team’s accompanying motor home.

Support from Business, Medical, Education, Sports and Charitable Community

Sponsors of the Journey include Hackensack University Medical Center; North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health Systems; Mt. Sinai Medical Center; Fairleigh Dickinson University; United Parcel Service; Bear Stearns; Nike; TanaSeybert; Keyspan Energy; Hunter Douglas; the New York Giants; the National Football League; the National Football League Players Association; General Motors; Sprint and World Wrestling Entertainment. Philanthropists Joseph H. and Dr. Carol F. Reich led the way with a donation today of $911,000.

“I'll walk every mile of the route, and will enjoy meeting this challenge; no walking a few miles and then riding in a car,” said Mr. Martin. “Outside of family, this is the most important thing I have ever done in my life.”

Donations

To make a tax deductible financial donation to “a Journey for 9/11,” visit http://www.active.com/donate/aJourneyfor911; or write to “a Journey for 9/11,” Rockefeller Center, P.O. Box 4862, New York, NY 10185-4862; or call 888-702-5080.

For general information about a Journey for 9/11, visit www.ajourneyfor911.info.

[simuvac]

http://www.active.com/donate/aJourneyfor911

If this website is correct, this guy has already generated over $1 million in donations.

Some of the top contributors:

The Jim Fassel Foundation $25,000.00 WWE . $10,000.00 Bill Parcells $10,000.00 Lee Reeves In Loving Memory - Minnie L. Reeves $5,000.00 Inc. Man Etc. $2,500.00 Pamela Duffy $500.00