Joseph Wittleder
Retired NYPD
Hey America my friend and hero Joe needs a kidney. I know a few
people have stepped up to the plate and things did not work
out,but I am asking anyone,and everyone this true hero in every
sense of the word needs our help. I am positive someone will be
Joe's hero and donate the gift of life to this great
father,husband,friend and hero.
John Feal
Gary
Louisa
Ailments:
Spinal cord injury
Masses removed from lungs
clouding in left eye
MEET A HERO
Angelo
Grande served under NYPD for 20 years out of the 61st precinct. He
was a PBA delegate for eight years. Angelo has been on a dialysis
since 5/15/06 . He suffers from from cystic kidneys, which does
not allow your kidneys to function normally. His blood type is "0"
so he can only receive help from a person with the same blood type "0"
or someone with a "A2" blood type. Angelo needs our help. If
anyone out there can save his life, then please be a hero and help a
hero .
Since the last time we posted our story about Angelo,
two kind and brave potential donors have stepped forward to offer their
kidney to Angelo. Unfortunately, neither cases resulted in a
successful match for the surgery. .
If anyone is willing to help Angelo, please contact us. Thank you
very much.
Dear John,
I was honored to speak with you on the phone. I know you wanted to
know a little something about my history and condition, so here it is.
On September 11th 2001, I was assigned to the NYPD Emergency Service
Unit Squad #2 in Harlem, N.Y. I was scheduled to do a 1515x2350 (4x12)
tour of duty when I saw the news flash of the WTC incident. I thought
like everyone else that it was a small plane accident, so I called in to
see if I could assist. I was told to report immediately and drove in
with a co-worker. On our way in, we learned that this was an act of
terrorism and prepared ourselves for the worst. After gathering the
necessary men and equipment, we headed downtown. We arrived just after
the second tower fell and immediately started assisting fellow ESU
members as well as others whom were injured. We also began a search for
missing members. I'll never forget the sounds of the fireman's
ScottPack signal indicating that the wearer was not moving. I've never
heard so many beeping in my career and hope to never hear one again. We
literally had to run off the mass of debris on numerous occasions do to
a collapse (such as building #7) or threat of. It was the one time in
my career I could recall being truly scared. After driving numerous
autos (some still on fire), and collecting men and equipment, we started
our search and rescue efforts. This continued for 12-14 hours a day for
several weeks. After that, we realized that we were not going to
recover any survivors and prepared ourselves for the daunting task of
recovering our friends and anyone else we could. As you know, sometimes
we found bodies or parts and sometimes we did not. Although I would do
it again, It was the worst assignment of my life. I am however proud of
the fact that we were able to recover the remains of our three members
so that their families could at least have closure. It was an honor for
me for they are the true heros. I think of them everyday and miss them
dearly. As the months went on, we continued the search for remains
until the job ended in June of 2002. My one regret is that we did not
find all of our friends. It haunts me to this day.
In February of 2002, I was taking a five year medical for the Naval
Reserve when I was informed by a corpsman that I had an unusually high
level of protein in my urine. I was referred to a nephrologist who
after taking a kidney biopsy and performing numerous function tests
confirmed that I had Kidney disease and it would get progressively
worse. The news was crushing. I held out hope but on May 26th 2005, I
was forced to go on Hemodialysis for three and a half hours a day, three
days a week. I also signed on for an organ transplant and I'm currently
listed at Mt. Sinai University Hospital in N.Y. It currently takes
approximately seven years to receive a kidney in N.Y. so I have a while
to go. While I was on dialysis, I never informed the NYPD medical
section of my condition for fear I would be placed on restricted duty.
I loved my work and it kept me positive. I thought that was the worst
it could get until December 26th, 2005 when I started coughing up quite
a bit of blood. Then in January of 2006 I had to be hospitalized for
the cough. I spent a week being treated and was released. I would wind
up back in the hospital a total of three more times in February, March
and April where I had two open lung surgeries. I was finally diagnosed
with a lung condition known as B.O.O.P. which my doctors attributed most
likely to the WTC. All this time, I was repeatedly denied a Line of
Duty Designation by the NYPD medical section. The fight for my rights
as a victim of the WTC incident was harder than my health battle and had
huge affects at home. Finally, in early 2007, I was interviewed and
examined by 3 doctors representing the city who agreed that the evidence
and medical records were overwhelming enough to grant me a retirement
based on my disability caused by the WTC.
I could be bitter and angry for what I've been through but it would
run counter to who I am. I have to be strong for my family. I feel I
am more fortunate than other first responders who suffer from conditions
I consider worse than mine. Still, I would not wish any of this on my
worst enemy. I have the support of an amazing wife and two children who
give me every reason to live. Any man would be extremely lucky and
fortunate to have the wife I've been blessed with. She's never wavered
or faltered and her bravery is unmatched. She is truly a once in a
lifetime women. I thank you for your help and what you've done to bring
awareness and aid to WTC First Responders. If I can be of assistance,
please let me know. God bless you and your staff.
Sincerely
Joseph Wittleder(NYPD/Ret.)
Angelo
Grande
Retired NYPD
On the morning of September 11th, Gary was
awakened by a phone call from his building owner. He went up to the
roof of the building and could see the first tower smoking.
He thought, as most did, that it was a fire. He made plans to
go lend a hand. As he was watching television to keep track of what
was going on, he saw the plane hit the second tower. That’s when he
knew America was under attack. He rushed to his truck and while he
had never driven over 100 mph before, that day he did. He made it to
the Brooklyn Bridge and joined a local fire company truck to get
closer to the site of the attacks. Gary arrived on the site around
11 A.M. but wasn’t cleared to go into the wreckage until later that
evening. Armed with only a ripped T-shirt covering his mouth and
nose, Gary went into the site. It was so hot the soles of his steel
boots melted like butter. Rescuers were given bottles of water that
they held beneath they’re clothing but by the time they drank it’s
as if they were drinking boiling hot water. For two weeks Gary spent
more than 10 hours each day searching for remains buried beneath
masses of melted metal beams. The only time he lifted his face mask
where to have a quick bite to eat or to go to Battery Park city for
a brief rest and shower in vacant apartments that were provided for
rescue workers.
In the course of another day of rescue Gary suffered a devastating
fall.
He fell from a girder that wasn’t attached and because
he was wearing his welding mask broke his neck crushing his 5th and 6th
vertebrae. His participation in the rescue effort was over, but his journey
on the road to recovery had just begun. To stabilize his vertebrae Gary was
bed ridden and wore a collar for the next 10 months. His first surgery, in
October of ’02, was a titanium replacement of the 5th vertebrae.
Almost a year later doctors inserted 4 pins and a plate into the 5th,
6th and 7th vertebrae. After excruciating pain, and
intensive physical therapy, just like a hero Gary holds his head high. He
describes the experience as a lesson in pain. “Once I knew how painful the
first surgery was, I was already mentally prepared to handle the second
surgery,” he says.
Now, Gary’s journey consists of providing for himself and his
17-year-old son on the modest monthly disability income he receives and his
everyday regimen to treat his preexisting diabetes and pulmonary
complications from exposure to ground zero. As a former steel fitter/plumber
with a successful business, Gary is not looking for handouts. He merely
wants to regain financial stability ending the struggle to make ends meet
and to be able to put his son through college.
In honor of the more than 100 steel workers who have
mostly gone unrecognized, Gary’s upcoming book, Diary of a Hero,
will be out in bookstores soon
