More than two decades after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, people who were at Ground Zero continue to experience physical effects associated with their exposure to the dust and debris that engulfed Lower Manhattan.

More than 400,000 people encountered toxic contaminants, risks of physical injury and stressful conditions during the days, weeks and months after the attacks, according to the World Trade Center Health Program.

As of March 2025, 8,215 people who had enrolled in the WTC Health Program had died, including 5,844 responders, according to the CDC. Those figures cover deaths from all causes because the program does not track whether each death was related to 9/11 exposure.

Mordechai Shedrowitzky, a volunteer EMT who responded on 9/11, told Fox News Digital that his exposure was followed years later by multiple hospitalizations and major surgery.

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Shedrowitzky, 51, was born in Queens and was living in Brooklyn when the attacks occurred. After helping cover his local area for much of the day, he traveled to Lower Manhattan that evening to assist with the response.

"My most vivid memory was actually entering Manhattan from Brooklyn," he said. "As we approached the tunnel, the first thing we noticed was there were no lights, there was no electricity in the area, it [was] pitch black."

After reaching South Street Seaport, where his ambulance joined others, Shedrowitzky found the amount of debris "overwhelming." He recalled that the ambulance engine sometimes sputtered and believed it was taking in a large amount of dust.

Shedrowitzky and his team did not understand what the air might do to them, so they spent substantial time outside the ambulances with other people at the scene. Once he left, he "thought it was over."

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Years later, however, small symptoms began developing into a much larger health problem. His preexisting asthma, which generally flared during seasonal changes and caused coughing that required an inhaler, became worse each year.

"I started to require oral steroids ," he said. "I would have wheezing; I would have coughing. It would last longer; it would be more serious ... I wouldn't be able to go to work, wouldn’t be able to take care of my kids. So, the effects were definitely increasing over time."

His condition eventually led to frequent respiratory infections and hospitalizations. Shedrowitzky said it took many years for those involved in his care to recognize that his health problems were probably connected to 9/11.

In 2019, his condition became "significantly worse" when he developed a cough that did not resolve, even after the "highest doses" of steroids and antibiotics. He was eventually connected with the World Trade Center Health Program, a federal program administered by the CDC, which classified and monitored his condition as related to 9/11.

Doctors confirmed that Shedrowitzky had tracheobronchomalacia, a condition in which the walls of the windpipe and major airways weaken and collapse during breathing. In 2024, he underwent a tracheobronchoplasty to reinforce his trachea and main bronchi.

Two years after the procedure, Shedrowitzky said he feels "much better," although he still has occasional infections. He hopes to return soon to his work as a physical therapist.

The father of six and grandfather of two said his condition affected his ability to spend time with his children as they grew up. "Things as simple as lifting my children, even speaking to them," he said. "The amount of time that I spent in the hospital and its effect on them was quite significant."

Dr. Denise Harrison, medical director of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine WTC Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, has worked in health care connected to 9/11 since 2002. The program provides screening, monitoring and treatment for people experiencing health effects related to their exposure.

Harrison said the dust was "highly alkaline" and could be "very irritating" to the airways. Patients frequently report sinus problems, asthma and COPD, sometimes alongside other aerodigestive conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Shedrowitzky encouraged other first responders with health problems to seek help and determine whether their symptoms may be connected to 9/11. "Continue to be monitored so that potential issues can be picked up early," he advised.

As of March 31, 2025, the WTC Health Program had more than 130,000 currently enrolled members. Authorized through 2090, it operates through health systems including NYU Langone Health, Mount Sinai, Northwell, Stony Brook and Rutgers.

Harrison said the health effects remain "persistent" while symptoms and research continue. "While it might not directly benefit them or may provide some benefits now, it could be more beneficial in the future and help the overall response to disasters."