Enzo’s 9/12

On the morning following the events in New York city on September 11th, 2001, Enzo would be found at what is now referred to as Ground Zero.  He had tried to reach the area as soon as possible hoping that he could help rescue survivors.  

Working in groups, first responders including police, firemen and thousands of volunteers, picked amongst the rubble in search of any signs of life.  Enzo’s group worked in the basements of the North Tower where the smoke and fumes were thick with the pungent smell of death and toxic chemicals.  The constant smoke rising from Ground Zero lasted for around 100 days.  

To give you some idea of the scale of the rescue effort at Ground Zero, one volunteer support group cooked over 3,000 meals every day providing breakfast, lunch and dinner for 1,000 of the rescue workers.  Support groups came from all over the country to lend their help.  Thousands of people.  And every day hundreds of people stood for hours along the dusty roads carrying hand-painted signs, flags and anything they could find to express their thanks for the workers there.

Enzo’s team of eight worked for hours in search of life but instead found themselves confronted with the distressing task of collecting body parts.  In other areas of Ground Zero where rescue teams were able to find bodies, a solemn routine followed.  Everyone stopped work as the body was placed carefully upon a stretcher and draped in an American flag.  A moment was taken to stand to attention and salute, after which each stretcher was taken to a temporary morgue.

Search and rescue efforts were constantly hampered by huge tangles of debris.  Enzo’s team, while feeling their way across a beam, elevated some distance from the ground, one of the group lost their footing resulting in all eight members of the team falling some distance.  Enzo broke both of his legs and a shoulder in the fall and was eventually rushed to the nearest hospital.  

As Enzo began to recover from his physical injuries, it became clear to him that he had other difficulties which at first doctors diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  It was some eight years later that Dr. Dolton, a pyschiatrist practicing in Melbourne, Florida, suggested that MRI and PET scans of Enzo’s brain may help uncover why Enzo’s memory and speech were degenerating.

Many first responders at Ground Zero have since died or are on disability with various health problems related to breathing the toxic air and dust.   Many of them to this day have not received the medical attention they need and many families have not received support.  In a determined effort to get help for them as well as himself, it took Enzo eight long years to finally receive a diagnosis. 

Toxic dust legacy of 9/11 plagues thousands of people BBC news: September 1, 2011

The day after 9/11, Enzo became a different person.  A person in search of answers and new hope, and through his searching he discovered that he was not alone.  The 9/12 project brought together thousands of people in pursuit of hope with a strong belief that the spirit which joined us on 9/12 could prevail.