Eight years may have passed but the effects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks can still be felt, both by the victims and the heroes. In fact, the heroes of 9/11 have become today’s victims. When people rushed to Ground Zero with the intent of helping and being of assistance in any way that they could, they didn’t know of the dangers that they were exposed to on the site. The emergency responders, cops, firefighters, and other well-meaning citizens who helped in the cleanup post the attack are now ill from post-diagnosed diseases stemming from exposure to very hazardous air and toxic dust in Ground Zero.

Joe Picurro, an ironworker who came to the rescue soon after the attack, is one of them. Only 42, his body is now ailing and suffering from the hazards he was exposed to since the attack in 2001. Picurro came to Ground Zero knowing that his skill as an ironworker would be needed in cutting through collapsed beams and hauling out debris in order to retrieve victims’ bodies. But, little did he know, the site was extremely dangerous given the presence of toxic chemicals and particles in the dust and in the air.

Now, Picurro is suffering from an inflammation of the lungs called sarcoidosis, where even mere breathing causes him to be in great pain. Aside from sarcoidosis, Picurro is also suffering from reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) and acid reflux. These cause for his joints to be in constant pain as well as produce in him periodic bouts of vomiting and coughing that become so violent his throat begins to bleed. Just recently, Picurro has begun to suffer seizures and blackouts as well.

Taking 37 different medicines costing nearly $10,000 a month, it doesn’t help that Picurro is unable to work and make a living because of his condition. His state has also led his family to seek and ask the government for assistance and help. The same is true for the many others who have become sick from working in Ground Zero.

Through the WTC Volunteer Fund and the 9/11 federal Victim Compensation Fund, Picurro and other Ground Zero workers like him can get workers’ compensation for injuries and ailments from the cleanup. Now medical bills can be met and living expenses given allowances. Some hospitals have also begun to offer treatment and homecare assistance for these workers.

But the best is yet to come for them. With the help of local politicians and labor leaders who are pushing to “rescue the heroes of 9/11” through the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, filing claims and vying for compensation and other healthcare benefits no longer need to be a struggle for these heroes. The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act seeks to provide permanent health treatment for all 9/11 Ground Zero workers and residents who have become sick from their exposure to contaminants. The Act will also seek to reopen the compensation fund for those who get sick or die. Though the bill has already made it through one House committee and is now set for a vote in another subcommittee this September, the full House and Senate have yet to take action on it. With enough pushing and promotion of the bill, the heroes of Ground Zero will receive what is due them, even after eight years since 9/11.