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Fall Highlights | December 2016
VOICES Staff Assists 9/11 Survivors
Were you there? We can help!
Did you or someone you know, live, work, or go to school in Lower Manhattan on or after 9/11?
It is estimated that over 400,000 people were in Lower Manhattan on 9/11 and in the months afterward. Fifteen years later, many survivors are experiencing symptoms of the same life-threatening medical and psychological conditions as the responders who worked in the recovery effort.
As recently announced, VOICES staff is working with our collaborative partners to assist 9/11 survivors and responders in applying to the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) for treatment. The WTCHP provides medical and mental health treatment for those who were in the NYC disaster area in the days and months following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
If eligible, survivors and responders who enroll in the program will have access to treatment for 9/11-related illnesses, with no out-of-pocket costs. Treatment is provided at the Clinical Centers of Excellence in the tri-state area, or through the Nationwide Provider Network.
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International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
32nd Annual Meeting
Dallas, TX - November 10, 2016: VOICES Founding Director Mary Fetchet participated in the 32nd Annual ISTSS Meeting. The two-day conference included the group's presentations focused on "Sudden and Violent Deaths: Implications for Improved Public Health Response." Presenters included left to right: Christine Mauro, Joscelyn Fisher, Katherine Shear, Stephen Cozza and Mary Fetchet.
Joscelyn Fisher, PhD and Mary Fetchet, LCSW presented "Terrorism-Related Grief Reactions Fifteen Years After 911: Public Health Implications," which was based on preliminary findings from a research project, "Investigating the Long-Term Impact of Bereavement Due to Terrorism: Factors that Contribute to Trauma, Grief, Growth and Resilience." Family members who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks on September 11th and in the bombing of Air India Flight 182 participated in the study. The research project was conducted in collaboration with Voices of September 11th, the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress and the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. Public Safety Canada partially funded the project.
Other presentations included: Stephen Cozza, PhD, Associate Director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, presented "Military Family Members Bereaved by Sudden and Violent Death: Differentiating Grief- Depression- and Trauma-related Symptom Clusters"; Christine Mauro, PhD, Columbia University Center for Complicated Grief, discussed "Performance of DSM-5 Criteria for Persistent Complex Bereavement Disorder"; and Katherine Shear, MD, Director of the Columbia University Center for Complicated Grief presented "Response to Complicated Grief Treatment in Violent Compared to Natural Death."
In the News
Cornell Dedicates Memorial to Alumni Lost on 9/11
Ithaca, NY - October 28, 2016: Representing the families of Cornell alumni lost on 9/11/2001, VOICES Board Member Bonnie McEneaney McNamara speaks during the dedication ceremony. Photo by Jason Coski, Cornell Marketing Group.
On October 28th, Cornell University dedicated a permanent memorial to the 21 alumni who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, at a ceremony in Anabel Taylor Hall.
Family members, friends, and Cornell administrators attended the private ceremony, including VOICES Board Member Bonnie McEneaney McNamara, whose husband Eamon McEneaney perished on 9/11. As part of the ceremony, Ms. McNamara addressed those gathered.
"Fifteen years and 47 days ago, the unthinkable happened . . . the worst act of mass violence ever to take place on our soil," she said. "The impact was far-reaching. For those who knew victims and those who didn't - everyone was impacted." Citing those who "went on to help and search for victims" and the efforts to honor the dead in the weeks, months and years that followed, Ms. McNamara noted, "This was, and is, resilience at its strongest. Love is the strongest force in the universe. It binds us together in tragedy."
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VOICES Public Discourse Initiative Brings Together Legislators, Policy Experts and 9/11 Families, Responders and Survivors
To commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11, VOICES partnered with the Grace Farms Foundation for a public discourse project centered on remembrance, renewal and resilience. Participants discussed their perspectives on the long-standing impact of 9/11 and the current challenges our country faces. Grace Farms produced the above film to capture the commemorative spirit of the day.
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The Road to Recovery May Be Green
There are many treatment modalities for treating PTSD. Here is one that we would like to share with you.
Can spending time in nature help heal veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? The Institute for Integrative Health (TIIH) seeks out answers to this question through their new Green Road Project at the Naval Support Activity Bethesda, home of Walter Reed Military Medical Center, in Maryland.
Green Road is a two-acre outdoor healing environment for injured military service members and their families, which opened on Sept, 26, 2016. One of the first of its kind on a military base, the Institute for Integrative Health initiative includes research to measure the Green Road's healing effects on catastrophic injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Anecdotal evidence suggests that spending time in nature has a positive impact on these conditions; however, very few scientific studies have examined these effects. Supported by a grant from the TKF Foundation, the Institute for Integrative Health, and scientists from four institutions, will work to fill that gap. The Green Road's research team aims to shed light on the array of positive changes that occur throughout the body when a sick or injured person encounters nature.
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Tribute at 17,000 Feet
VOICES Board Member Jeff Blumenfeld shared this image with us. His friend Michael Halstead recently trekked to the base camp of Mt. Everest. When he arrived at the 17,600 foot altitude mark, he discovered this memorial honoring those lost in the 9/11 attacks. Pictured is the Flag of Honor, which displays the names of the 2,977 precious lives lost on September 11, 2001.
Upcoming Events
Never Forget Tribute Basketball Tribute
Saturday, December 10
Prudential Center, Newark New Jersey
12:00 pm: Villanova vs. Notre Dame
2:30: Pitt vs. Penn State
Proceeds benefit the Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.
Click here for more information or to purchase tickets, and visit the VOICES table for more information on our programming.
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Facebook Live Chat from the 9/11 Museum Featuring Jon Stewart
Sunday, December 18, 11:00-11:30 am
Mark your calendars for an upcoming live Facebook chat featuring Jon Stewart at the 9/11 Museum. The event will be an opportunity for 9/11 survivors and responders to learn more about the World Trade Center Health Program that is providing medical and mental health treatment to those who qualify. Joining Jon Stewart will be John Feal from the FealGood Foundation, as well as VOICES collaborative partners, representatives from the Clinical Centers of Excellence.
In the days ahead, we will be providing details on how you can participate in the live Facebook chat.
9/11 Living Memorial Project
Commemorating the 2,977 lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon
and in Shanksville, PA
VOICES 9/11 Living Memorial website honors the lives lost on September 11, 2001 and documents the personal stories of responders, survivors and volunteers. This month, we would like to highlight the lives of Rahma Salie and Michael Theodoridis, a married couple who perished on American Airlines Flight 11, and to share their story.
Remembering Rahma Salie and Michael Theodoridis
Rahma Theodoridis-Salie was of Sri Lankan descent and was raised in Japan. Michael Theodoridis, of Greek descent, was raised in Switzerland. Rahma's Muslim faith was a very important part of her life, and Michael converted when they married in 1998.
A graduate of Wellesley College, Rahma was chief operating officer of Cinoni. Michael graduated from Boston University and worked as a technology consultant at eXcelon Corporation. At the time of the attacks, they were traveling to California to attend the wedding of a classmate of Rahma's. Rahma was seven months pregnant when she, Michael and their unborn child perished.
Tell Us Your Story
The stories of survivors, responders, volunteers and rescue/recovery workers are a continuing source of inspiration. The Stories Section of VOICES 9/11 Living Memorial website is a growing compilation of the truly heroic actions of so many on 9/11. They are a record of the confusion and courage, the unity and loss, which make up our collective memory of that day.
We invite you to read the stories we have gathered. If you have a story you would like to share to be included on the website, please contact Stephanie Landau at (203) 966-3911, or by email at slandau@voicesofsept11.org. (Please note that stories may be published anonymously.)
Building Resilience Together
Each week, VOICES hears from many of the people we are proud to work with and provide support services to. Here is a note we received shortly after the 15th Anniversary:
"I would like to thank you all for the support you have given to those who were involved in the tragedy of September 11th. I was a volunteer with the American Red Cross after the event. Little did I know that I would be suffering with the health consequences that I am dealing with 15 years later. Keep up the excellent work in helping us all stay informed about the World Trade Center Health Program!"
VOICES relies on donations, sponsors, and grants to provide funding for our work.
Have You Moved Recently?
If your mailing address, email or phone have changed, please let us know so that we can update our records to ensure that you receive our communications. Contact Susan Cossette Eng at (203) 966-3911, or by email at seng@voicesofsept11.org.
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