Robert Peraza, who lost his son Robert David Peraza, pauses at his son's name at the North Pool of the 9/11 Memorial during tenth anniversary ceremonies at the site of the World Trade Center in New York, Sept. 11, 2011.
The number of people seeking help with medical expenses stemming from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has ballooned in recent days as the deadline to apply for assistance from a 9/11 fund looms.
The “9/11 Victims Compensation Fund,” created as a result of the 2010 James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, had 17,000 applicants in June, but by last week that number had nearly doubled to 36,000, ABC News reports.
The fund won’t accept new applications after the Thursday deadline passes, which has some concerned that people with diseases slower to manifest, like cancer, will be left ineligible for assistance. An upcoming NYPD study found a five-fold increase in cancers in those who spent time at ground zero after the attack.
[ABC News]