The Situation: A Radical Journey Thru Sisterhood, Francese Lila Glasoe

The official FDNY response time to 9/11 was ?five seconds. ?Five seconds. Thats how long it took for FDNY, for NYPD, for Port Authority, EMS to respond to an urgent need from the public. ?Five seconds. Hundreds died in an instant. Thousands more poured in to continue to fight for their brothers and sisters.

The breathing problems started almost immediately and they were told they werent sick, they were crazy. And then, as the illnesses got worse, and things became more apparent, ?W?ell?, ? okay, youre sick?, ? but its not from the pile. And then when the science became irrefutable, ?O?kay, its the pile, but this is a New York issue. I dont know if we have the money.And Im sorry if I sound angry and undiplomatic. But Im angry, and you should be too, and theyre all angry as well and they have every justification to be that way...Your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity: time. Its the one thing theyre running out of.
- Jon Stewarts testimony before Congress

Jon Stewarts testimony before Congress reminded America - in scathing terms - of their responsibility to 9/11 first responders, but the effects of that day spread to nearby residents as well. Carolyn Glasoe Bailey owned an art gallery in lower Manhattan, and years later in Los Angeles, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. Her doctors told her it was mostly likely due to her proximity to Ground Zero. When Jon Stewart took to CSPAN, it moved Lila Glasoe Francese, her sister, to finally release the book she wrote about Carolyns journey.

When Carolyn is diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer, Lila is unaware of the complexity of the diagnosis and unprepared for the devastating path to come. When she was told she had cancer, Carolyn opted into treatment, even knowing it might change her personality. At that time, Lila went to search for a book to help her understand what her sister was going through and what her family should expect. She couldnt find anything to support her. So she wrote the book she needed at the time to support others in their own journey.