9/11 first responder who testified with Jon Stewart gives final interview from hospice bed: 'I have my family surrounding me'
A former U.S. Marine and bomb-squad detective for the New York Police Department has been battling 9/11-linked cancer for years. With his son David by his side on Thursday, Luis Alvarez gave his final interview from his hospice bed.
When Alvarez went for his last — and 69th — round of chemotherapy, the nurse noticed he was disoriented. He didn’t know the date or the hospital he was at and couldn’t answer simple questions like what year it was. “9/11 happened, we got called down. It’s my job as an NYPD detective to respond to emergencies,” he said. “So no hesitation. I’m no one special and I did what all the other guys did. Now we are paying the price for it.”“You need to be covered,” he told the network. “I’m lucky to have the health care that I’ve got, but there are guys out there who don’t have it. In terms of going through the stress of fighting cancer, they’re also fighting the financial stress of the health care. It’s not right.
“You made me come here the day before my 69th round of chemo,” he told Congress while urging them to reauthorize funding for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. “I’m going to make sure that you never forget to take care of the 9/11 responders.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
https://people.com/Get the latest news about celebrities, royals, music, TV, and real people. Find exclusive content, including photos and videos, on PEOPLE.com.
Read more »
https://people.com/Get the latest news about celebrities, royals, music, TV, and real people. Find exclusive content, including photos and videos, on PEOPLE.com.
Read more »
https://www.instyle.comInStyle is the leading site for celebrity style. See expert fashion advice, star hairstyles, beauty tips, how-to videos and real-time red carpet coverage.
Read more »
Apollo 11 artifacts were auctioned off; one went for over $52,000
Read more »
Jennifer Lopez-Backed Fuse Media Prepares To Emerge From Chapter 11 BankruptcyFuse Media, the multi-platform company backed by Jennifer Lopez that targets Latino and multicultural millennials and GenZ audiences, said it will emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on sc…
Read more »