9/11 first responders, residents, students and workers are experiencing multiple illnesses that can be traced back to the exposure to toxic dust on September 11, 2001 as well as in the days, weeks and months that followed. Because cancers have a latency period, certain illnesses can take many years before they develop. Programs like the World Trade Center Health Program and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) can help with medical expenses, economic losses and pain and suffering. The VCF has awarded close to $4 billion to date. The deadline for filing is December 2020.
Image Source: Courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division. Library of Congress.