On the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks, Fox News correspondent Eric Shawn reported live on Fox & Friends from Lower Manhattan, where survivors, families, first responders and public officials gathered to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost.
During the segment, Shawn revealed he himself suffers from 9/11-related cancer.
"I have two different diagnoses under the World Trade Center Program," he revealed, referencing the federal program that provides monitoring and treatment for survivors, responders and others directly affected in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
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"It is hard to believe that it has been nearly a quarter of a century since that day, when radical Islamic terrorism attacked the very heart of our city and our country," Shawn said.
"It is a philosophy that basically hates our principles, our freedoms, what our nation stands for. That has not diminished - and today, again, we all gather here to remember what was lost."
The tragedy extends far beyond that day, he emphasized.
"While 2,977 people were murdered here that day, the number who have died from 9/11-related illnesses has increased from the toxic dust that was released," Shawn said.
According to CDC data, 48,000 people have now reported 9/11-related cancers, with nearly 10,000 diagnoses in just the past year.
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More than 3,700 first responders have died since 9/11, including 2,300 who had cancer. The Fire Department of the City of New York has been hit especially hard, with 409 of its members lost to post-9/11 illnesses.
For Shawn, the statistics are deeply personal, as he suffers from both respiratory issues and cancer directly related to the attacks. But, he says, he is one of the lucky ones.
"I think of all those who were killed that day and those who continue to suffer because of that philosophy - that is not diminished. We have to condemn it. We have to despise it. You will never forget."
The health impact reaches far beyond first responders, Shawn said.
"If you were below Canal Street, basically, you were exposed to the dust. I was here reporting on it. That's what happened with me. I mean, I'm very, very lucky. I think of all those who are suffering much greater … I've lost a few friends from this, of course."
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Shawn's own diagnosis came decades later, in the form of a bronchitis-related respiratory issue and then a cancer diagnosis just this year.
"Back then, I remember thinking, maybe in 20, 30 years later I'll get something. Well, here it is, 24 years."
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Shawn emphasized the importance of coming together as a nation: "We're all in this together. I mean, we are. We are all in it together."
