Source: nydailynews.com

Juan Gonzalez - News
Wednesday, September 9th 2009, 4:00 AM

"I knew right away they'd need ironworkers to cut through those collapsed beams," he recalled.

Picurro joined thousands of hardhats who showed up at Ground Zero that first night. They helped retrieve bodies, battle flames and clear debris.

Along with the cops, firefighters and other emergency responders, they were lauded as heroes then. Their selfless actions gave us solace and hope amid all that grief.

They did not know then about the toxic soup of chemicals in the dust and in the air. Federal and city health officials downplayed any danger at the time. They even dared tell the public the air was safe to breathe.

Now, Joe Picurro, 42, is dying. His family is destitute and his faith in our country's leaders has been shattered.

The list of ailments ravaging his body is stunning.

To begin with, his lungs are inflamed and scarred from a disease called sarcoidosis, so inflamed from all the tiny particles of glass and even human bone fragments lodged in them that every breath produces excruciating pain. His doctor has told him he has the lungs of a 95-year-old.

All the joints in Picurro's body are in constant pain. He suffers from reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) and acid reflux, which produce periodic bouts of vomiting and coughing that become so violent his throat begins to bleed.

"Most mornings, when he wakes up, his pillow is soaked with blood," his wife, Laura, said.

Then, there are the seizures and blackouts. They started several weeks ago and are getting more frequent.

"I can't leave him alone in the house," Laura Picurro said. "The doctors say there's not much they can do for him now."

Her husband is taking 37 different medicines that cost nearly $10,000 a month.

This week, Hospice of New Jersey approved Picurro for treatment. The group will provide a regular nurse to help his wife for a few hours each day.

He gets workers' compensation for his injuries from the WTC Volunteer Fund. That covers his medical bills and gives him $500 a month for living expenses.

Like many of the thousands of sick Ground Zero workers, Picurro has had to battle for even that little compensation.

That's because he didn't realize his sickness was most likely related to his time on The Pile until 2004. So, he` missed the first deadline for filing such claims with the 9/11 federal Victim Compensation Fund.

He's been unable to work the last five years, and his wife must stay home to care for him. Picurro is battling to keep his home and provide for their 14-year-old daughter, Allison.

"She just started high school," he said. "My biggest hope is to live long enough to see her graduate."

It is probably too late to do much for him, Picurro acknowledged.

Our city and nation owe an enormous debt to his wife, Laura, and their daughter - and to all the other families of Ground Zero workers who are sick today or have already died.

They are victims of that horrible attack, much the same as the 3,000 who died that first day.

Yesterday, a handful of local politicians and labor leaders reminded us of that debt. Rep. Carolyn Maloney has been spearheading this fight for years. In February, Maloney and fellow Rep. Jerrold Nadler sponsored the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

It would provide permanent health treatment for all 9/11 Ground Zero workers and residents who become sick from their exposure to contaminants. It would also reopen the compensation fund for those who get sick or die.

The bill has made it through one House committee and is set for a vote in another subcommittee this month. The full House and Senate must still act.

"It's the least we can do as a grateful nation to those heroes," Maloney said. "I don't want to be back at Ground Zero next year without having this compensation fund passed."