As if being involved in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centers wasn't horrific enough, it's now appearing as if people present at the WTC on that world-changing day have higher than normal rates of lymphatic and blood cancers, as reported on our sister site, That's Fit. This comes as a particularly harsh blow, since it's also been shown that 70% of this group also suffers from respiratory illnesses. But the true impact of this correlation won't be evident for years to come, when the disease may become present in many not currently affected.

I can't help but be reminded of the aftermath of the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII, when what was at first a tragedy of epic proportions was made by the realization that people would continue to suffer the effects for many years to come.

The world is such a cruel, unfair place sometimes.

During the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attacks, Yehuda Kaploun spent two days at Ground Zero saving lives. He watched as his friend, fireman Mychal Judge, died in a building collapse. Yehuda acted as a liaison officer between the police, fire departments and the Orthodox Jewish community in the aftermath of the disaster that killed thousands of people that day. After two days, when Yehuda finally went home, he took off his shirt, and without washing it, put it into a sealed bag. Recently, he had the shirt tested by the RJ Lee Group laboratories. The results? The shirt contained 93,000 times higher than normal limits of asbestos -- in addition to being saturated with the toxic chemicals zinc, mercury, antimony, barium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead and molybdenum. Yehuda's clothing is called the deadliest shirt in the world. Experts are now calling Ground Zero the most toxic place ever, and speculate it will not be known for years the amount of cancer that will result from the exposure for so many of the people who were there that day, and worked there in the days that followed.

But one thing is clear, the devastation, suffering and loss of life of that day continues. Yehuda shared in the interview, "I saw thousands of people covered in the dust. We were told there was no danger. Obviously, this isn't the case. It goes to show how wrong these people were who we trusted. I hope the government will do the right thing for all those who were at Ground Zero for any length of time." The heart broke then, the heart breaks now. Related posts we have done are: 9/11 first responders suffering with cancer sue city and WTC Ground Zero FDNY paramedic dies of lung cancer.

According to an attorney representing a group of 9/11 first responders who have been diagnosed with brain cancer and other illness -- out of the 7,300 sick workers and family members involved in the case -- 41 have now died. The group states that the toxic dust that filled the air immediately following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers is responsible for their illnesses. 

In a related post, WTC Ground Zero: FDNY paramedic dies of lung cancer, we shared the story of Debbie Reeve, a FDNY paramedic, who spent several months at Ground Zero working in the morgue. Reeve was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a malignant lung cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Reeve was exposed to asbestos particles in the air caused by the collapsing Twin Towers. According to her physician and her family, her work at Ground Zero is the direct link to the cancer that took her life. She died in mid-March, leaving behind her husband, David Reeve, 45, a FDNY paramedic, and two children, a daughter Elizabeth, who is ten years old, and a son Mark, who is only six years old. Her family said she suffered greatly leading up to her death, as the cancer consumed her body.

In another news story that came out today, a survey completed by the Centers for Disease Control states that people trapped in the dust and debris cloud were nearly three times more likely to experience respiratory symptoms than other building survivors not bathed by the cloud. "That was most surprising to us - the impact of the dust cloud," noted Dr. Lorna Thorpe, deputy commissioner of the city Health Department and head of the World Trade Center Health Registry, which has been tracking the health of more than 71,000 people who worked at or were near Ground Zero on 9/11.

As a nation, we owe these brave men and women whatever they need. Government, state and city agencies should step up and do what is right for our heroes, who ran upstairs into harm's way while everyone was passing them on the way down escaping danger. Who stood in the middle of dense choking dust and debris, to help the injured. Who stayed, and sifted through the heartbreak of destruction to find the lost loved ones of others. This should never have gotten so bad for them they have to go to court to see that right is done.

In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Debbie Reeve, a FDNY paramedic, spent several months at Ground Zero working in the morgue. Two years later, she developed breathing problems. The next year, Reeve was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a malignant lung cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Reeve was exposed to asbestos particles in the air caused by the collapsing twin towers. According to her physician and her family, her work at Ground Zero is the direct link to the cancer that has taken her life. She died Wednesday, leaving behind her husband, David Reeve, 45, a FDNY paramedic, and two children, a daughter Elizabeth, who is ten years old, and a son Mark, who is only six years old. Her family said she suffered greatly leading up to her death, as the cancer consumed her body.

The Daily News has already reported that 23 Ground Zero workers have died from the toxic mix of chemicals present at Ground Zero. The heartbreak of the day that changed this nation forever, continues.