First FDIC Economist, a 9/11 Survivor, Passes After Battle with Brain Cancer

The 9/11 community includes nearly half a million people, including first responders, office workers, residents, teachers, and students.

The toxins at Ground Zero impacted every person who was in the exposure zone on 9/11 or during any part of the 8 following months, dramatically increasing their risk of 68 different types of cancer and dozens of respiratory diseases that have been linked to the 9/11 toxic dust.

Sadly, we recently learned of the November passing of 9/11 survivor Dr. Richard Alan Brown, 58, the first Chief Economist at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), after a four-year battle with brain cancer.

His passing was reported by DS News.

Dr. Brown, a resident of Ashburn, Virginia, was in Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001 attending a conference at the Marriott World Trade Center. He escaped from Ground Zero with his wife and two of their children, leading them to safety in Battery Park.

His subsequent illness demonstrates that anyone who was living, working, or even just visiting Lower Manhattan on 9/11 and in the months that followed should enroll in the World Trade Center Health Program and register with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Many kinds of cancer and respiratory disease only develop years or decades after an individual’s exposure to toxins.

By visiting the doctor for regular checkups and enrolling in the health and compensation programs available to 9/11 first responders and survivors, you have the ability to access life-saving medical treatments as well as benefits to support you and your family.

A law signed last year created a permanent 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. But to file a claim involving cancer or other illnesses diagnosed more than two years ago, you must register with the fund by July 29, 2021.

Give yourself and your family the peace of mind to know that health care and other resources will be available if you get sick in the future.

Please call us if you have any questions about the  World Trade Center Health Program and the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, or visit 911victims.com or call 212-385-8000 today.