“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
— Barack Obama
Memories of September 11th have been “firmly embedded in the minds of most Americans old enough to recall the attacks.”1 Though marked by a tragic event in modern American history, this day revealed the resilience of American citizens and their willingness to risk their own lives to help others.
In the aftermath of September 11th, notable agencies began surveying the physical and mental health effects of this event on the American people, especially first responders and survivors who managed to escape the World Trade Center. For example, the World Trade Center Registry enrolled over 71,000 individuals to study the physical and mental health effects of September 11th. Most notably registered were first responders, passersby, residents of the surrounding building, evacuated workers in the World Trade Center, and volunteers who spent time at Ground Zero weeks afterward.2 Furthermore, USA Today stated that the rate of various cancers among first responders was over 30% higher than the general population, with the average September 11th first responder living until around age 55.