John Holze is a retired NYPD officer. He and many others are facing serious health issues related to the Sept. 11 attacks.
"The worst part happened weeks later when we were in the landfill and recovering bodies and body parts," Holze said. "A couple of years later, I was diagnosed with cancer. Prostate cancer."
Michael Barach, managing partner with Barasch and McGarry, helps those directly affected from helping in the recovery.
"Not a day goes by without two of my clients dying of Sept. 11 cancers," he said.
First responders and survivors qualify for money for their medical treatment and monitoring, but funding was removed from the end-of-year 2024 congressional budget.
"The problem is the explosion of cancer in the Sept. 11 community and medical inflation," Barasch said. "There's just not enough money, even though Congress provided for these programs to last until 2090. There's not enough money for the health program, and we need this additional funding."
It may reduce memberships and services for about 1500 Southwest Florida Sept. 11 survivors Barasch represents and others, including Michael Alavanji.
"I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma," Alavanji said. "It's a bone marrow cancer. It kind of stays with me because I'm on a constant chemo pill."
For him, the medical support is everything.
"You won't believe what these medications cost," he said. "The fund is taking care of everything for me. So, I really, I'd be bankrupt if I didn't have it."
Barasch believes President Donald Trump will help these survivors out by signing legislation.
He said right now, there's bipartisan support. He just hopes someone introduces a bill and gets it passed. For every single one of his clients.