Thousands have suffered and died from 9/11 health effects. A new moment of silence will honor them | CNN

New York —

Bridget Gormley suspects her father was “well aware” he might one day get sick. She imagines him feeling a dark cloud following him around, “waiting to come when it wanted to.”

But the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the potential sicknesses that loomed over everyone who worked at Ground Zero, were “never discussed” in Gormley’s household, she told CNN — even after her father, Billy Gormley, got sick. It was likely a mix of “PTSD and guilt,” she said.

Only after her father, a New York City firefighter who spent months working at the World Trade Center site, died of bladder in cancer in 2017 did she start to understand the connection to his 9/11 recovery efforts — and the magnitude of 9/11-related illnesses. That Billy Gormley is one of thousands whose death is directly linked to exposure shocked her.

On Tuesday, New York City released more than 170,000 pages of previously undisclosed records showing city officials at the time misled the public about air quality around Ground Zero. The release not only underscores how dangerous the conditions were, but it is also an important moment for responders and survivors who have long fought for help and recognition.