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Loading ...After September 11: The gay emergency responders
Rev. Bonnie Giebfried was a little sleepy when she reported to work as an EMT in New York City on the morning of September 11, 2001.
“My partner and I were kind of slow on the uptake that morning, so we were flipping a coin for who was gonna drive,” Giebfried remembers.Giebfried lost the coin toss and she and her partner, Jennifer Beckham, went to a local breakfast place for oatmeal. As they quietly ate, neither woman had any idea that within an hour, they would get a call on their radio that would put them at the center of one of the greatest tragedies in our nation’s history.
Giebfried and her partner rose above the call of duty that day.
At the World Trade Center site, they repeatedly put themselves in harm’s way as they moved people to safety, triaged wounds and calmed people’s fears.
Rev. Bonnie Giebfried
Twice, Giebfried was buried under falling rubble and managed to find her way out.
At one point, Giebfried gave her helmet away to a woman as she helped her out of the lobby of the South Tower.
“It was a horror movie scene,” Giebfried recalls. “Everything was burning.”
By the time she left Manhattan that morning, Giebfried had sustained multiple injuries and suffered three asthma attacks. More importantly to her, though, she had done her job.
Seven years later, Giebfried is still living with the physical effects of that morning. She has been diagnosed with 26 medical conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, reactive airway disease, arthritis, vertigo and “WTC Cough.” Her thumb, wrist and arm have been reconstructed.
“I’ll never be without medications now because of the injuries and the diseases I have acquired from doing my job,” Giebfried says.
Giebfried’s situation is not uncommon. Seventy percent of the approximately 40,000 emergency responders present on 9/11 suffer from illnesses derived from their service at Ground Zero, according to John Feal, founder and president of the Fealgood Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to spreading awareness about the health effects of 9/11 on first responders.
Next page: No health insurance, no job
As a firefighter and filmmaker, I documented life at ground zero following the Trade Center attacks. I consider myself fortunate to have met Rev. Bonnie Giebfried during follow-up interviews and Jennifer Beckham a bit later. The way in which these two brave women have been treated by management and government is shameful. What treatment these responders have received is a testament to their will to survive, the same will that guided them on 9/11/01 when they were buried alive…twice. These women are heroes in my book, and I know of no one, with the possible exception of Rudy Gulliani, who doesn’t feel as I do.
Wilmington, DE
This must be my day to blog. This article just tore me up. The way these angels were trated is shocking. I am incensed and just plain p’d off. I can answer several questions to statements by Bonnie and Tom. They don’t want to help you because you are gay, they just don’t want to do anything. It takes too much of their time as a govt. bureauocrat. Without going into it I would suggest you read my letter on the aging of elderly gays. I can’t do much in this world but I’m trying my darndest to get support for healthcare in A merica. People, we need to demand our ELECTED OFFICIALS start to do what’s right and quit spending trillions on bombs and weapons of mass destruction and use that cash to get good medical care for persons like these brave first responders the help they need. How can Bush and all the restr who are supposed to be in charge of America’s health care do their job? Easy, DO IT NOW! I don’t know how they can sleep at night with the bad job they AREN’T DOING!!! This is shameful and to me borders on inhuman abuse and neglect. We need healthcare now. We must vote in a president who cares and will do what desperately needs to be done. That person is Barak Obama. I will keep on fighting the fight for us. You can be assured. This topic is too serious to ignore in favor of all the other trivial stuff floating around out there. Love, Doug
I don’t understand why these first responders are having so much problems getting the help they need?
Knowing that there are some of them without insurance and health care, not to mention financial strain, is disgusting.
This is unacceptable. But then why am I so surprised? We don’t seem to be doing much for the soldiers that come back from Iraq with health and mental problems, so I guess we’re going true to form.
So much for the “touching” tribute to the victims of 9/11 that was shown at the RNC. “We shall never forget!” True line…we won’t forget, but we won’t do anything for you either.
Thanks for bringing attention to these heroes in our community and their current struggles. I am inspired by their actions and hope advocates help them receive the care, compassion and compensation they deserve for their sacrifices and their physical and mental healthcare.
Thanks for info. am MD. Daughter pre ER MD. Sent her site.