Mário Carneiro spent six months at Ground Zero, working on debris removal to help rescue victims of the September 11 attacks. His mission was clear from the start: to save people.
After years of silence about his experience, Mário Carneiro finally decided to reveal that he suffered from head cancer. This diagnosis is directly linked to the work he carried out at the site during the months following the attack.
Prolonged exposure to the dangerous materials present in the World Trade Center debris is believed to have been the cause of the disease development. Mário Carneiro thus joins the growing number of survivors and workers who developed serious health problems due to exposure at the site.
His story underscores the long-term consequences that many of those involved in the rescue and recovery of Ground Zero have faced, years after being exposed to the chemical and physical hazards of the site.
