A U.S. senator is calling for the widow of state trooper who died from 9/11 pancreatic cancer in 2007 to receive benefits from the Workers’ Compensation Board.

New York State Trooper Lawrence W. Lakeman was one of nearly 4,000 state troopers who worked at Ground Zero from September through December 2001.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer says it is imperative that death benefits for the family are approved. The Workers’ Compensation Board argues that Lakeman’s widow, Audra Lakeman, waited more than the two-year limit to file for death benefits.

In a press release, Schumer laid out a timeline that indicates Lakeman became sick with pancreatic cancer in 2006, but continued to work as a state trooper because of his dedication to his family’s financial health. When Lakeman died in 2007, pancreatic cancer was not on the list of illnesses that qualified for 9/11-related benefits. Pancreatic cancer was not added to the list until 2014.

As soon as Audra found out that pancreatic cancer was an approved illness, she filed her claim within two years of the disease being added.

9/11 Pancreatic Cancer Added Late

Because 9/11 pancreatic cancer was not on the list of eligible illnesses when Trooper Lakeman died, there was no way he or his wife would have known to file for 9/11-related benefits at that time. Even if they suspected his illness was a result of his work done in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks at Ground Zero, the 9/11 pancreatic cancer was not recognized in the 2006-2007 relevant time period.

The Lakeman family also hopes to receive money from the federal Victims Compensation Fund, a multi-billion-dollar funding source available to cancer victims and their families who lived or worked near Ground Zero any time from Sept. 11, 2001 to May 31, 2002.

Many of the first responders were police and fire personnel who inhaled toxic fumes and particles for days, weeks and months during the cleanup of the World Trade Center tragedy. The long-term effects of the poisons they were exposed to continue to haunt the victims and their families, who are still dealing with new diagnoses of cancers that took root 17 years ago.

More than 70 types of cancer – including 9/11 pancreatic cancer – are now considered linked to exposure to poisonous chemicals and carcinogens during the aftermath, which included aluminum, asbestos, glass and jet fuel smoke.

The September 11^th Victims Compensation Fund provides tax-free compensation for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, wrongful death and other benefits. People who were near Ground Zero (generally defined as below Canal Street) during the designated time period and were diagnosed with a qualifying cancer four or more years after exposure, could qualify for compensation.

For those diagnosed with blood or bone cancers, a diagnosis within one year or more of exposure is needed.

Even if you did not qualify previously, your illness might have been recently added to the list, such as the case with 9/11 pancreatic cancer.