Twenty-five years after the 9/11 attacks, the health effects of exposure to the disaster sites continue to impact first responders, survivors, and others who were in the areas. At NYU Langone Health, the World Trade Center Health Program provides comprehensive care, monitoring, and treatment to people experiencing health conditions associated with their exposure.

For Mordechai Shedrowitzky, 51, ongoing care through the program has been an important part of managing the health problems he has experienced since the attacks. A volunteer emergency medical technician (EMT) based in Midwood, Brooklyn, Shedrowitzky responded to Lower Manhattan on the evening of 9/11 and remained in the area for several days.

In the years that followed, Shedrowitzky developed persistent coughing, shortness of breath, and asthma-like symptoms. As his symptoms worsened, he sought care through the World Trade Center Health Program, where he sees Denise J. Harrison, MD, the program’s medical director.

His experience reflects the need for specialized, long-term care for people affected by 9/11 and the importance of understanding the health consequences of the disaster 25 years later.

Understanding the Health Impacts of 9/11

Hundreds of thousands of people in and around New York City, the Pentagon, and the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, were exposed to dust, debris, and physically and emotionally stressful conditions on and after 9/11. Those affected include first responders, workers, and volunteers who participated in rescue, recovery, cleanup, and other support efforts, as well as people who lived, worked, attended school, or otherwise spent time in the affected areas. Research over the past 25 years has helped physicians and researchers better understand the short- and long-term effects of this exposure.

NYU Langone has cared for first responders and others affected by 9/11 since the days immediately following the disaster. The World Trade Center Health Program was established by the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 and is administered by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NYU Langone is home to a formally designated World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, which provides health monitoring, treatment, and support services.

Called to Care

Shedrowitzky’s commitment to caring for others began long before 9/11.

During his teenage years, his mother had ongoing health issues and was hospitalized several times. Shedrowitzky witnessed the care she received from first responders and was appreciative of the support they provided. That experience inspired him to volunteer as an EMT in 1995, at age 19.

Shedrowitzky later became a physical therapist and runs his own clinic. He continues to volunteer with an emergency ambulance service.

On the morning of 9/11, Shedrowitzky was stationed in his neighborhood in Midwood, Brooklyn.

“Many of us were already in Manhattan. It wasn’t until the evening that a group of us were called to the site,” he said. “The most vivid memory I have is driving the ambulance over that evening. There were no lights on the street. There was swirling debris everywhere, and you couldn’t tell how fast it was going. The amount of debris was tremendous.”

Shedrowitzky and his team helped treat and transport people near South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan. They remained outside for several days, often without masks or other protective equipment.

“In this very dark moment, what I saw around me was amazing. There were people coming by my team to drop off snacks, drinks, water, anything they had. These weren’t just small businesses or city agencies; they were regular people trying to help. It was special,” Shedrowitzky said. “Anyone that could help was thrilled to.”

Connecting the Dots: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

By 2019, Shedrowitzky’s health had deteriorated. As a father of five and a physical therapist, he had always led an active life. But everyday activities—including grocery shopping, playing with his children, carrying boxes, walking up stairs, and working—became increasingly difficult. He also experienced repeated bouts of bronchitis and was diagnosed with severe asthma.

Despite his worsening symptoms, Shedrowitzky did not initially receive a definitive reason why his symptoms were worsening. Eventually he was diagnosed with tracheobroncheomalacia, a condition in which the walls of the trachea and airways leading to the lungs weaken and collapse, making it difficult to breathe.

“There is a wide range of health impacts that people can experience from the disaster,” explained Dr. Harrison. “We see patients with conditions like gastroesophageal reflux disease, PTSD, and upper and lower airway disorders, including rhinitis, sinusitis, asthma, COPD, and interstitial lung disease. If someone comes in with a cough, we must look very closely at their medical history, lifestyle, and potentially other health issues to understand where the cough originated, if it’s related to their exposure to ground zero, and how best to treat it.”

In March 2024, Shedrowitzky had surgery in March 2024 at a specialty hospital in Boston. Dr Harrison works with his primary pulmonologist, Dr. Eric Teller, to provide medication, testing services, doctors’ visits and other services free of cost. Today, Shedrowitzky is doing well and is getting back to his favorite activities, including walking and biking around his neighborhood and upstate.

“It is uplifting to see Mordechai doing well compared to when I first started seeing him. This work can be heavy for our patients, families, and care teams, but knowing that we’re helping people is what keeps us going,” said Dr. Harrison.

Learn more about the World Trade Center Health Program.

About NYU Langone Health

NYU Langone Health is a fully integrated health system that consistently achieves the best patient outcomes through a rigorous focus on quality that has resulted in some of the lowest mortality rates in the nation. Vizient Inc. has ranked NYU Langone No. 1 out of 118 comprehensive academic medical centers across the nation four years in a row, and it continues to have the most No. 1– and top 10–ranked specialties among medical centers in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report. NYU Langone offers a comprehensive range of medical services with one high standard of care across seven inpatient locations, its Perlmutter Cancer Center, and more than 330 outpatient locations in the New York City area and Florida. The system also includes two tuition-free medical schools, in Manhattan and on Long Island, and a vast research enterprise.

Media Contact

Casey Nicholl
Phone: 646-983-4920
Casey.Nicholl@NYULangone.org