9/11 responders react to bin Laden death

John Devlin never thought he'd live to see Osama bin Laden's death. Jen McNamara wishes her firefighter husband had gotten the chance.

Devlin, of Brightwaters, and John McNamara of Blue Point were among the thousands who worked in the aftermath of attacks on the World Trade Center site, many of whom subsequently became sick. Devlin, 50, has stage 4 throat cancer; McNamara, who worked 500 hours at Ground Zero with the FDNY and was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2006, died of the disease in August 2009 at 44.

For many of the surviving sick, bin Laden's demise is bittersweet as their struggles with illnesses go on.

"While bin Laden's dead, people need to realize this country's still got to do the right thing by those who got sick working in the aftermath of the attacks," Devlin said Monday.

"It's great to see the patriotism around the country because he's been killed . . . but for many of the 9/11 responders there is no closure," he said, explaining that next week he has to have another full-body scan for cancerous cells.

"I'm just one sick person. . . . For other brother and sister responders like me, every day is a fight with the aftereffects of 9/11 on our health."

Though the Zadroga Act was signed into law earlier this year, securing $4.3 billion in health coverage and some compensation, many of the sick still face a wait of several months to learn if conditions -- such as cancer and some heart ailments -- will be covered.

"He poisoned us with those buildings," said Ken George, 47, a former city Department of Transportation worker with severe respiratory ailments who spends hours a week hooked up to an oxygen machine.

"And we're dying slowly still," said George. "One at a time, our lives are cut short by that evil person. People with cancer, heart trouble, people who lost their jobs because they're too sick to work, people lost their houses -- let him be judged by his maker." George said he was happy to be alive to witness the moment.

Saluting President Barack Obama and the U.S. military, John Feal of Nesconset said bin Laden was responsible for "devastation that continues to wreak havoc through the 9/11 community here." Feal's FealGood Foundation has supported responders and lobbied for federal money.

"While I'm elated he's been removed from the face of the Earth, it's not going to bring anyone back, and the sick are still getting sicker," he said.

Responders had a range of reactions to bin Laden's death, said Joe Stassi, 62, a police surgeon from Hauppauge who helps treat first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Emotions ran the gamut from mere interest to anxiety and anger. "For every one of them, this moment has stirred up events of nearly 10 years ago," said Stassi, who has seen about a dozen patients since Monday.

"To some, it's brought a degree of satisfaction. . . . At the other end of the spectrum, it's a moment of vengeance. For me, it kind of closes the circle," said Stassi, who himself worked supporting police at the pile, at the same time his three sons, two then with the NYPD and the third an ironworker, were also there.

Jen McNamara said she felt relief and happiness that justice has been served and drew satisfaction that "the last thing he [bin Laden] had to look at was an American soldier coming to kill him."

But there was also sadness her husband was not alive to see it. "The first thing he probably would have done was let out a scream and a holler, then he would have said some things you can't print and then I think the next thing he would have done was call the firehouse.

"I know he would have been very proud of our military and equally proud of our country today."