This 9/11 survivor developed a rare disease. He's far from alone, and in trouble.

Soon, 2,983 names, so many familiar to New York's Lower Hudson Valley residents, will be read aloud at what was ground zero on Sept. 11, 2001. Local towns and villages will hold similarly solemn ceremonies remembering residents lost 24 years ago in the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Speeches and prayers will include pledges to "never forget."

Meanwhile, the World Trade Center Health Program flounders, advocates warn, as 9/11 responders continue to die from the toxic exposures at ground zero. Survivors, including those who lived, worked or went to school in lower Manhattan, face similar illnesses.

The WTC Health Program, established as part of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, offers screenings and treatments for diseases and disorders classified as caused by exposures on Sept. 11, 2001, and the months after, reports the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, which is a part of the USA TODAY Network.

Among the issues in question: The status of long-planned studies to include World Trade Center Health Program coverage for conditions like cancer and autoimmune disorders, which have been seen at what appears to be higher incidence among the 9/11 community.