THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WTXL) — Thomasville community members climb 110 stories in tribute to 343 firefighters, 63 police officers, and 8 EMS personnel who died on 9/11.
- Ricky Zambrano, a native New Yorker, shares his brother’s harrowing experience in the World Trade Center that day.
- All attendees received cards representing fallen first responders to honor and remember their sacrifice.
- Watch the video to learn why one local firefighter says this 9/11 was more meaningful.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The impact of 9/11 didn’t end in 2001 and is still being felt today.
"Obviously, it hits home. But then on top of that, my brother worked at that time in the World Trade Center, not in Tower 1 or Tower 2, but there are multiple towers that make up the World Trade Center," said Ricky Zambrano, Public Information Manager at the city of Thomasville.
This is Thomasville neighbor and New Yorker native, Ricky Zambrano. He
says his brother, Jaime, experienced the chaos firsthand at the World Trade Center.
As the tower fell down, his brother had difficult choices to make.
"He had enough time to leave. But he thought about a co-worker. And then he thought about his brother-in-law, who actually was in Tower Two, I believe. And he was trying to make contact and make contact and connect them," said Zambrano.
For Ricky and his family in Florida, those hours were filled with fear and uncertainty, as cell phones were down and communication nearly impossible.
"My brother ended up in the emergency room later that evening, or straight from when they made it back over. Like many others that day, you know, the survivors that had to run away from all the debris, obviously had to get ice flushed and system flushed to get all of that debris out of the system," said Zambrano.
But the damage didn't end there....
" We didn't lose him that day. But there was a long-term impact from that day, revolving around all the debris and that he took in his body at that time. We did end up losing him in 2021. And we lost him to lung failure. And he was diagnosed with what's called 9-11 disease," said Zambrano.
Ricky's brother is one of nearly 2,000 responders and more than 1,000 survivors certified with cancer linked to 9/11, that's according to the CDC.
Tens of thousands more live with aerodigestive and mental health conditions from that day.
Here in Georgia, the losses feel personal, too.
Corey Thompson, Firefighter, says the death of local firefighters in the past week has made the memorial even more emotional.
"In the state of Georgia, this has been a tough week for us. We have lost some firefighters up in the DeKalb County area, and I lost a close friend this Monday due to cancer," said Thompson.
Neighbors in Thomasville are climbing 110 stories to honor those lost on 9/11, from first responders to civilians like Jaime Zambrano who were caught in the chaos.
"My goal is to support the community and walk with them, so I'm not worried about how many laps I do. Because just like the men and women for the FDNY, that day when their planes crashed into the tower, it was nothing about selflessness. It's all about thinking about how we can protect the community. So when I'm walking, I'm walking for them," said Thompson
Ricky and his brother's story is now on display at Jackets' Nest Stadium, allowing the community to remember and pay tribute to his passing.
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